The UK has a longstanding skills problem which is impacting on economic growth. Adult participation in learning has declined, particularly among part time students, while fewer people in work are taking up training to reskill or upskill. More generally there is a shortfall in vocational and higher technical qualifications, with only 4% of young people achieve a qualification at the higher technical level by the age of 25.

In this first report, kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the Lifelong Education Commission seeks to recommend how the barriers to adult learning can be removed; what future investment is needed to support this; and what change is needed to ensure the maximum flexibility that will benefit learners and deliver on the promise of a whole system change for lifelong education.

Panellists:

Chris Skidmore MP (Chair of the Lifelong Education Commission)
Prof. David Latchman, Vice-Chancellor, Birkbeck
Prof. Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, Salford University
Dr. Diana Beech, CEO, London Higher
John Penrose MP