The concept of learning as a process that continues throughout life to address an individual’s learning needs. The term is used widely in adult education to refer to learning processes in many forms and at many levels.
UNESCO. 2006. Education for all: literacy for life; EFA global monitoring report, 2006. Paris: UNESCO.
The acquired skills provided by new entrants to the labour market cannot be relied upon to fully adapt the skills of the workforce to be in line with changes in technology, since new entrants are only a small proportion of the total workforce. It is therefore important that existing workers, who may be many years out of formal education, continue to develop their skills in a process of lifelong learning. In order to participate in lifelong learning, individuals must have the necessary skills on which to build and the ‘ability to learn’ (McIntosh, 2008: 82).
McIntosh, Steven. 2008. Education and employment in OECD countries. Fundamentals of Educational Planning 88. Paris: UNESCO-IIEP.