Understanding the Education Choices of Public Sector Employees: The Relative Importance of Time and Money

Australian workers are constantly reminded of the desirability of upgrading their skills in a rapidly changing work landscape. However, comparatively little is known about the relative importance of the factors impacting on the employees’ decisions to undertake further education. This paper presents the results of an experimental choice analysis of workers’ decisions to undertake formal courses of study. This novel approach affords the opportunity to consider factors beyond the economic domain. Results include the development of a model of employee preferences and estimates of willingness to pay for study programs.