NON-FORMAL EDUCATION, OVEREDUCATION AND WAGES

Why do overeducated workers participate in non-formal education activities? Do they not suffer from an excess of education? Using microdata from the Spanish sample of the 2007 Adult Education Survey, we have found that overeducated workers participate more than the rest in nonformal education and that they earn higher wages than overeducated workers who did not participate. This result can be interpreted as evidence that non-formal education allows overeducated workers to acquire new abilities that improve their competence at the job they perform. Our results support the European Commission’s view on the need to reinforce lifelong learning among the adult population.