Lifelong learning and skills

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN769 

Evidence indicates that lifelong learning helps adults develop their skills. This may become increasingly relevant in the near term:

• Rapid technological change, including advances in artificial intelligence (AI), is reshaping the labour market and may require people to learn new skills.
• The population is ageing and people are retiring later in life, which may increase demand for upskilling and retraining across longer careers.
• Many young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and so may need support with skills later in life.

This POSTnote focuses on England for education policy and uses UK‑wide data for skills.

Trends

Adult participation in further education and skills development has declined from nearly 3.3 million learners in 2012–13 to nearly 1.8 million in 2024–25. Simultaneously, qualification requirements for jobs have increased and skills shortages have persisted across the labour market. People are more likely to participate in adult education if they are younger, are from a more affluent socioeconomic background, or have previously attained higher qualifications. Trends for some demographic associations, such as gender and ethnicity, appear less conclusive due to disaggregated data collection.

Legislation and policy

Recent policy and legislation measures include:

• Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), offering a loan equivalent to four years of study at university
• Growth and Skills levy, which replaces the apprenticeship levy
• foundation apprenticeships
• AI Skills Boost online courses
• the creation of Skills England and standardised skills classification
• the Adult Skills Fund
• Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs)

Opportunities and challenges

Lifelong learning may help fill skills gaps, for example, through older adults entering higher education and through regional partnerships that align provision of learning with local skills needs. Further opportunities include remote and modular provision allowing adults to fit learning around their lives and international case studies of skills and lifelong learning policies that provide insights for the UK context.

However, evidence suggests people may not take opportunities for learning because of the cost and because they do not want to take on debt to fund it. They may also have caring responsibilities that limit their availability for learning. Further challenges include the low appetite for lifelong learning, additional support needs of adult learners, and declining employer investment in upskilling.

Benefits for individuals and society

Research shows that participation in lifelong learning is associated with improved health and wellbeing, digital inclusion, financial resilience, intergenerational outcomes, community cohesion and civic participation.

Acknowledgements

This briefing was produced in consultation with experts and stakeholders, who are listed at the end of the briefing. The briefing was co-funded by the Nuffield Foundation. POST would like to thank everyone who contributed their expertise to this briefing.