Canadians aged 55 or older are a growing proportion of the population. Involuntary unemployment among older workers is gaining attention as an urgent social problem. The special training needs of older workers and retired individuals have received increasing recognition in Canada. However, concern expressed in the media and in government discussion papers has been slow to translate into policies and programs, particularly programs for those who require training in job skills. Conflicting claims about the willingness of older workers to undertake training may be explained by insufficient encouragement to participate in training programs or an unresolved policy debate at the federal level concerning whether these workers should be encouraged to retrain at all. Although there is yet little public policy on training or retraining older workers, some interesting pilot projects are being conducted in the field. Manitoba's Job Training Program for Tomorrow offers wage assistance to encourage creation of positions with on-the-job training. Transitions, an Ontario program, offers a training credit to cover a specified amount of training expenses. Federal programs include the Canadian Jobs Strategy, an umbrella program, and the National Labour Market Innovations Program. Training for older workers aimed at enhancing retirement seems less problematic. University courses and programs are not generally liked by older workers who feel unwelcome. (78 references) (YLB)