About 28 percent of the population of Sweden is aged 55 or over. This figure will grow to about 37 percent in the year 2025. Sweden leads the industrialized countries in terms of employment of older workers, with about 65 percent of persons aged 55-64 employed. This is a result of the current general high employment rate in Sweden; however, older workers in Sweden, as in all Western countries, are especially prone to becoming long-term unemployed. Training policies in Sweden are not especially targeted at older workers. Older workers take up only 1 percent of the training offers open to all age groups, because older job seekers are often registered as looking for training simply in order to get their unemployment insurance benefits until they reach the legal age of retirement. Because there is hardly any specially targeted training activity, older people take part in various education courses offered in adult education. The participation rate of the 45-64 age group was 20 percent in 1982; 13 percent of the 65-74 age group participated. The reasons for the relatively low participation rate are that the study grants did not, as a rule, go to people above age 45, and that many beyond that age were afraid of using their right to take study leave from work. Preparing for retirement is the only specially targeted training activity. The Swedish Government has established a special group within the social ministry that is to stimulate discussion about the situation of older people in today's society. (17 references) (KC)