Microdata: Work-Related Training and Adult Learning, Australia

The Work-Related Training and Adult Learning (WRTAL) survey collected information from people aged 15–74 about their participation in formal and non-formal learning in the last 12 months, with a focus on work-related training and personal interest learning. The survey was collected monthly as a self-contained topic on the Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) with the sample pooled across a financial year. Refer to Work-Related Training and Adult Learning for summary results, methodology and other information. 

The data can be accessed using the following microdata products: 

• TableBuilder - produce your own tables and graphs. TableBuilder is available for the following survey years: 2013, 2016–17, 2020–21, and 2024–25. 

Compare access options to see what's right for you or Apply for access.

Data items include:  

• Demographics, such as age, sex and country of birth
• Geography
• Labour force, income and education characteristics
• Formal study
• Non-formal learning including work-related training and personal interest learning
• Cost of and time spent on work-related training
• Barriers to formal study and non-formal learning
• Population data items

Refer to the data item list for each microdata product in the Data downloads section for detailed information on items available. Use the data item list to confirm whether the dataset includes what you need for your research before purchasing your subscription.

The file is structured as a single level person file.

Please refer to relevant sections from the TableBuilder main page for information about how to create basic tables, custom groups, graphs and large tables. 

When tabulating data in TableBuilder, person weights are automatically applied to the underlying sample counts. Weighting is the process of adjusting results from a sample survey to infer results for the total population. To do this, a 'weight' is allocated to each sample unit. The weight is the value that indicates how many population units are represented by the sample unit.

Most data items included in the TableBuilder include a 'Not applicable' category. The classification values of these 'Not applicable' categories, where relevant, are shown in the data item list in the Data downloads section. The 'Not applicable' category generally represents the number of people who were not asked a particular question or the number of people excluded from the population for a data item when that data was derived (for example, Year of Arrival in Australia is not applicable for people born in Australia).

The population relevant to each data item is identified in the data item list and should be kept in mind when extracting and analysing data. The actual population estimate for each data item is equal to the total cumulative frequency minus the 'Not applicable' category.

In addition, the WRTAL TableBuilder includes 'Population data items' that can be used in a table to 'filter' for a specific population of interest. For example, the population data item 'Persons who participated in work-related training in last 12 months while employed' can be used to filter for this population.

The purpose of the population data item 'Non-Indigenous flag' is to assist users in producing non-Indigenous data only. It should not be used to estimate for the Indigenous population through differencing, as the scope of the WRTAL excludes persons living in Indigenous communities.

The WRTAL TableBuilder includes a number of continuous variables: 

• They can have a response value at any point along a continuum.
• Some continuous data items are allocated special codes for certain responses (for example, 9999 = 'Not applicable').
• When creating ranges in TableBuilder for such continuous items, special codes will automatically be excluded. Therefore the total will show only 'valid responses' rather than all responses (including special codes).
• Continuous items with special codes have a corresponding categorical item on the Person level that provides the ability to display data for the special code.
• Any special codes for continuous data items are listed in the data item list in the Data downloads section.

A number of data items allow respondents to report more than one response. For these items, a person is counted against each category they responded to and consequently the sum of the categories may be different to the total. An example of such a data item is 'All reasons did not participate in formal study in the last 12 months'. For this data item, respondents can report more than one reason.

Multiple-response data items are identified in the data item list, as they include 'multiple response' in the data item label. The data item list can be accessed from the Data downloads section.

A confidentiality process called perturbation is applied to the data in TableBuilder to avoid releasing information that may lead to the identification of individuals, families, households, dwellings or businesses. Refer to Confidentiality and relative standard error.

This release previously used catalogue number 4234.0.30.001.