WASHINGTON -- Among employers, 86 percent say they have never taken part in a government or publicly funded training program, with half of those saying they were not aware of programs aimed at their business sector. And 40 percent said they weren't aware of government programs in their area, the surveys showed.

Most employers say their low-wage workers have the necessary skills to perform their jobs now but were not prepared when first hired. These employers are investing in training programs to get workers up to speed, but only about half are confident they can keep these investments going in the future to keep worker skills current.

For some low-wage workers, "just the predictability of scheduling or even access to adequate transportation can be barriers in terms of schooling," said Stephanie Luce, professor of labor studies at City University of New York's School of Professional Studies. "They could be barriers to job training as well."

She also questioned whether many of the programs are truly effective in helping get workers promotions or new jobs.

"It seems to me if the training programs at the work sites really were leading to successful upward mobility, workers would be taking them," Luce said.

Only 30 percent of all workers in this income category report ever having received a promotion from their current employer, and few think they have a good chance of getting one.

Nina Troisi, 52, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., was making more than $50,000 a year in banking customer service, but after being laid off, she found work as a resident assistant at an assisted-living facility for patients with dementia. She now makes less than half her previous salary.

"It's a very underpaid job," she said. "But I really like it, it's like missionary work. You have good days and bad days, but I'm making it."

Her position does not require certification as a nursing assistant, but she is required to participate in job training such as seminars on understanding Alzheimer's disease and how to keep patients active. Troisi said the job training could be beneficial to her career in the long run.

"Absolutely, I can take what I'm learning here and take it to some other facilities that pay more, like state facilities," she said.

The surveys revealed widespread pessimism among low-wage workers, many of whom see themselves as worse off than before the recession and view their jobs as a dead end. Half said they were "not too" or "not at all" confident their current jobs will help them achieve long-term career goals.

Both employers and workers place most of the responsibility for career advancement on the individual worker, with 81 percent of employers and 78 percent of workers saying the worker shares a lot or almost all the burden. But 73 percent of workers and 78 percent of employers say that employers share at least a moderate amount of the obligation to help workers find better jobs.

By contrast, fewer than half of low-wage workers think federal, state or local government bears more than a little of the responsibility for helping workers move ahead.

The surveys were sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, the Hitachi Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago. The Joyce Foundation works to improve workforce development and education systems to assist job seekers who may lack skills or credentials. The Hitachi Foundation aims to expand business practices that improve economic opportunities for less well-off workers while benefiting business.

The worker survey was conducted online using the GfK KnowledgePanel and by telephone by interviewers from NORC from Aug. 1 through Sept. 6, 2012. The employer survey was conducted online and by phone by NORC from Nov. 12, 2012, through Jan. 31, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey of workers was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points; for employers, it was 4.5 points.

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Associated Press News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and writer Stacy A. Anderson contributed to this report.

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