Lifelong Learning

The concept of lifelong learning is increasingly being used to frame education and training policy reforms in countries from both the developed and developing worlds. However, there are two different definitions of lifelong learning, with different policy implications: the first emphasizes that all types of learning, from the youngest ages to the oldest and of different types (formal, informal, and nonformal), need to be considered as part of lifelong learning. The alternative conception is learning that takes place after compulsory education, when an individual enters the labor market or goes into higher education (here, too, learning can be of a formal or informal nature). With the upsurge in interest in the concept, there are now a number of methodologies for measuring lifelong learning, as well as detailed country studies (including studies that use comparable approaches). Moreover, there are a number of synonyms for the concept, such as “lifelong education,” “recurrent education,” and “life-wide education.” Lifelong learning concepts are intended to profoundly reorient countries’ education and training systems in order to respond to changes in countries’ economies where knowledge generation, adaptation, and use play an increasingly large role. These changes in the nature of firms’ competitive advantage imply changing skills and competencies needed by workers. Moving towards a lifelong learning system is also seen as desirable because it will address equity concerns.