Lifelong Learning in the UK: Taking lessons from abroad

Digitalisation and technological change are transforming labour markets across the world. It requires new approaches to lifelong learning and a rethinking of current skills systems in order to equip workforces for the future of work. Taking a comparative approach, Cameron Tait has investigated how five different countries provide different strategies to these new challenges.

Tait’s report demonstrates how both Germany and the UK are falling behind other European countries in terms of providing education and training for their adult populations. In the UK, investment cuts in the adult skills budget and the government’s neglect of lifelong learning strategies have contributed to the country’s deteriorating performance in adult education. In Germany, the government’s Work 4.0 White Paper sets out a series of reforms to improve participation in education and training. However, the implementation will depend on the future government in power.