Employability and training: public attitudes, the labour market and vocational training policies

One of the main challenges in modern labour markets is to improve the mobility and employability of workers among workplaces, jobs and roles. This paper explores the factors that might influence people's beliefs about and attitudes towards the mechanisms for improving employability through training. We develop a research model and test it in Israel using surveys that were distributed at two points in time – before and during an acute crisis in the labour market – the Covid-19 pandemic. Perceptions about personal mobility and employability and prior educational experience play a major role in explaining citizens' attitudes towards training. Beliefs about the effectiveness of government training providers as well as employment security are relatively marginal in explaining the demand for training. Policy implications follow.