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Denmark faces the same changes as other western industrial societies including a rapidly changing economy, globalisation and post-industrialisation. Approximately one third of the workforce possess skills and competencies which are gradually becoming outdated; approximately one million workers have little general education and more than two thirds of these have had no vocational education at all. This paper focuses semi-skilled male workers between 40 and 60 years of age, a group that does not participate very much in adult education and for which, up till now, researchers have shown very little interest. A survey of national and, to some extent, international literature about motivation and barriers to participation in adult education was done. A questionnaire survey, based on 2 400 respondents was carried out. Interviews were conducted with 11 of the questionnaire respondents and adult education institutions were visited. This paper looks at the data amassed in this process and offers some recommendations.