What, then, are the factors that impede participation in ALT? The available data consist of the responses to two surveys based on a list of possible obstacles. Although it is not possible to draw conclusions about the real obstacles, these data (Tables 3.8 and 3.9) nevertheless give us an idea of the factors that might influence participation in ALT activities. The data from these two surveys are very similar and in both Quebec and the rest of Canada, the first four categories stand out.
| Canada | Quebec | |
|---|---|---|
| Source: WALL (2004) | ||
| N = 9,026 | ||
| Not enough time | 61 | 62 |
| The timing was not convenient | 56 | 48 |
| Family responsibilities | 39 | 33 |
| The training was too expensive | 50 | 32 |
| No need for structured training | 11 | 15 |
| The program was not given | 12 | 15 |
| No support from the employer | 21 | 13 |
| Child-care problems | 10 | 9 |
| Health reasons | 8 | 7 |
| Did not qualify or have the prerequisites | 7 | 6 |
Three main obstacles, taken from the first four categories, emerge as factors behind the failure to participate: problems of availability (scheduling conflicts, lack of time), the problem in reconciling ALT and family responsibilities and also the high cost of ALT. The only category that seems to distinguish Quebeckers from other Canadians is the high cost of ALT, which, while a major factor in Quebec, has a greater impact on people in Canada as a whole. It should be noted, as can be observed in Table 4.3 for informal learning, that the proportion of structured employer-sponsored job-related ALT is slightly greater in Quebec, but significantly greater from a statistical standpoint.