From learning to earning? Analysing participation in job-related education and training and its impact on wages in the UK

The UK labour market is subject to ongoing pressures, from large-scale economic and industry shifts to changing labour force demographics, generating enduring skills gaps and emphasising the need for individuals to reskill or upskill to remain competitive. Job-related training is one way to close the skills gap – but are those most in need of training able to participate? And, if they do, does the market recognise and value such training? Using UK Labour Force Survey data from 2013 to 2023, this article explores disparities in access to job-related training and the associated wage outcomes. Results show that occupational skill level influences men’s and women’s participation in training, and that the minority gender in an industry has lower training rates, with individuals participating in training not necessarily the ones most in need of reskilling or upskilling, with notable gender-specific differences. Results also show that women (but not men) participating in training are more likely to have a higher wage 12–15 months later than those who did not participate, conditional on demographic and employment-related characteristics.