By Grant Smith, education reporter

MORE THAN eight out of 10 adults in Scotland have taken part in some form of learning in the past three years.

Research was carried out north of the border as part of a UK-wide adult learning survey.

This found that most courses or training that Scots went on were work-related, with the prospect of gaining vocational skills, improving their career prospects and increasing their job satisfaction the main reasons people gave for participation.

Almost everyone questioned believed that learning was something they should do throughout their lives. That did not necessarily have to involve taught courses—two-thirds of people said they had done some type of self-directed learning, such as on-the-job training.

The most common barriers to adult learning were lack of time or lack of interest, while those with few or no qualifications and low incomes were least likely to seek opportunities to expand their knowledge.

The cost of courses was also a factor. More than a third of interviewees said they would be willing to save towards their future learning costs in a special account if the Government and their employer also made contributions.