Using data from the 2009 Australian Work and Life Index, this report examines how work-life pressures influence the capacity and motivation of individuals, particularly low-paid workers, to engage in education and training. This report is part of a larger project, "Low-paid workers and VET: Increasing VET participation amongst lower-paid workers over the life cycle". Key findings of "Work-life issues and participation in education and training" report include: (1) Undertaking some form of training outside the workplace does result in a significantly higher work-life conflict for employees in low-paid occupations; (2) Women in higher-paid occupations were particularly likely to experience a work-life penalty for their participation in education and training, relative to their male counterparts; (3) Men in low-paid occupations are those most likely to be disengaged from current and future participation in education and training; (4) Only a minority of employees anticipate undertaking a university-level qualification, with the majority expecting to do a VET course or other type of qualification; and (5) The most common reasons cited for not participating in education or training remain time and cost, despite most employees indicating that their employer would provide some support and that the outcomes would have employment benefits. (Contains 15 tables.) [Additional information relating to this research is available in "Work-life issues and participation in education and training: Support document", see ED507752.]