A study compared 17 European countries' initial and continuing vocational training systems. Two kinds of continuing training (CT)--that which is initiated by the employer and that which is intiated by the individual--provide an indicator for comparing the different situations observed throughout the European Community. The two forms are mutually reinforcing. The more employers have recourse to CT, the greater the chances the country involved can rely on widespread practices of individually initiated training. This complementary relationship is not automatic, however. In France, the considerable investment of companies in CT is matched by a weak position with regard to individually initiated training. The dynamism of employer-initiated CT practices depends on three essential factors: impact of economic activity and company size, influence of initial vocational training, and impact of the organization of continuing vocational training. Individuals assume responsibility for their training at some point in their working life in all countries, but to different degrees. The objectives pursued are multiple, even if CT is increasingly intended to ward off unemployment. Individual initiatives also emerge in the context of lifelong learning. The following factors contribute to individual initiatives: the tradition of lifelong learning and diversification of training supply; the right to training leave in two forms: legal and contractual; government aid measures; and certification of CT. (YLB)