The present study was conducted to identify and understand factors that influence SME workers’ decision to participate in training activities in the Portuguese continental territory. Understanding why employed individuals participate in Continuing Vocational Education and Training (CVET) activities is important because continuing qualification of workers is essential to improve workers’ productivity in companies. In fact, the level of productivity of business depends on effective use of technologies which is only possible with human resources continuously qualified. For this reason, results have allowed us to elaborate recommendations for designing and implementing strategies for CVET activities. The present research was framed by the ISSTAL (Interdisciplinary, Sequential-Specificity, Time-Allocation, Life-Span) model of social participation (Smith, 1980), already adapted and tested in USA by Cookson (1986) and in Alentejo and other EU regions by Figueira & others (2008) for studying adult participation in learning activities. 

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