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From the age of 45, workers have less access to continuing education, and this trend is aggravated beyond the age of 55. For the unemployed, the situation is similar from the age of 50. For certain older workers, the fact that they will be retiring in the near future is a negative factor in access to training. All things being equal elsewhere, access to continuing education is more limited for older workers. This can be largely explained by the workforce management practices applied by employers, unwilling to invest in the training of workers with limited future career prospects. Though older workers have fewer demands for training, it would be dangerous to conclude that their limited access can be explained exclusively by a lack of interest on their part. There is a vicious circle of reduced access which maintains a sentiment of resignation, or at least of acceptance. There is perhaps also a generation effect: older workers express fewer needs because they belong to a generation which received less training than younger ones. The decrease in access to ongoing education for older people is especially pronounced for engineers, technicians and workers employed in trade and as well as for workers in small businesses. The training provided is non-specific in terms of structure (course, teach-yourself, in-service training). We note, however, that when provided, training given to older workers focuses on office automation and computing, human resources and communication. Few companies claim to provide specific training programmes for older workers.