This article examines the determinants affecting individuals’ previous participation in training workshops in rural Vietnam. This is the firststudy to examine training program participation ratesin a rural Asian context. According to a survey conducted in Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam in 2008, more than 90 per cent of individuals expressed an interest in participating in a job-training program, yet only 41 per cent participated the previous year. This disconnect presents a serious challenge to increasing job training participation rates. We find that gender, age, location, and also behavioral constraints such as an individual’s risk attitude and willingness to compete are significant predictors of previous participation. Our results also indicate that those who could benefit most from job-training programs participate at lower rates. Governments and NGOs need to rethink development models taking these behavioural constraints into account. By designing interventions aimed at mitigating these constraints, participation rates for rural individuals will likely improve, offering a chance to improve livelihoods.