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The present study addresses processes and tools for adult career guidance in the context of longer lives. The need for people in midlife to prepare for their remaining working lives is more urgent since the global pandemic, making demands on career and adult educators. Older workers and job-seekers, especially those with lower levels of prior education, face difficulties if employers discriminate against them or discount their skills and abilities, especially in low skilled sectors. An Erasmus Plus project’s results are discussed, demonstrating the benefits of online approaches to support employability, highlighting whether older workers could gain from using online and peer supported tools.

This paper gives an overview of the work of the recent independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning in the UK. The author first outlines the range of the Inquiry, to give an idea of the overall context; this includes its application in each of the regions within the UK ( England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.). He turns then to two sets of theoretical frameworks which underpin the report: the interlinked notions of human, social and identity capital; and, more originally, the four-stage model of the lifecourse. He outlines the way in which resources are allocated across the different stages. He then discusses the notion of intergenerational solidarity, by considering the types of transfers which run between generations. The sections provide only a selection of insights; for a fuller account readers are referred to the main report of the Inquiry, "Learning Through Life". (Contains 5 footnotes and 2 figures.)

In this article, Tom Schuller and David Watson, who were responsible for a major review of lifelong learning in the UK published in 2009, describe the main proposals from that review and compare them with the 1996 UNESCO report, "The Treasure Within". They find many points of similarity, as well as clear differences. Apart from specific differences of analysis or emphasis, their 2009 "Learning Through Life" (LTL) report focused particularly on adults and dealt prominently with workplace and community-based opportunities compared with the full life-cycle but largely formal education focus of the Delors report. They discuss the LTL 4-lifestage model, the lifecycle distribution of resources, and entitlements to learning. They draw out key issues related to "learning to be". They provide a stocktake of the progress that has been made in the UK since the publication of their report in 2009 and find little grounds for encouragement that their suggested directions for change have been put into practice. They reflect on rationales and developments to offer a prospectus for lifelong learning that has general application, not only in the UK.

In this response to the commentaries, the author makes some general observations on the nature of the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning (IFLL) and "Learning Through Life" ("LTL"): their design and purpose. He then turns to the comments from the "International Journal of Lifelong Education" ("IJLE") contributors which seem to him to offer the most fruitful path toward a sustained dialogue. The author does not attempt to rebut the various criticisms made, but rather to engage in a dialogue with the points made, both positive and negative. He concludes with some observations for taking this further forward. (Contains 3 notes.)

"Learning Through Life," the main report from the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, is the culmination of a two-year process of consultation, analysis and reflection. The report sets out bold proposals which go well beyond the boundaries of adult education and training. Several key weaknesses in the current system were identified and these include: (1) the shortcomings of initial education in laying a true foundation for lifelong learning; (2) the lack of response to key demographic changes, most obviously the ageing of the population; (3) the failure to recognise the extended and complex transitions into and out of employment, especially at the beginnings and ends of people's working lives; (4) persistent inequalities of opportunity and resource, and especially the way these inequalities grow over the life-course (called the Matthew effect); (5) excessive centralisation and lack of trust of the local (in England--it should be noted here that the Inquiry covered all the nations of the UK, whose variety posed a further set of interesting challenges); and (6) a lack of "intelligence" in the system, that is, a low capacity to learn lessons from the past and from each other, and to build a proper research base. In this article, the authors focus on four of the report's ten main recommendations.

The EERJ roundtable took as its point of departure the experience of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) in carrying out policy research. CERI has conducted four reviews of national educational research and development (in New Zealand, England, Mexico and Denmark), and has run a number of meetings specifically on the use of evidence-based policy research (in the USA, Sweden and the Netherlands). Tom Schuller, Head of CERI, presented some conclusions from these and other CERI activities. Responses were made by Wim Jochems, Open University of the Netherlands, Lejf Moos, Danish University of Education, and Agnes van Zanten, Observatoire Sociologique du Changement, CNRS, Paris. The EERJ Roundtable was an opportunity to return to the issues raised in the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) 2003 Hamburg Roundtable on the "OECD Examiners" Report on Educational Research and Development in England' (European Educational Research Journal, 3(2), 2004, pp. 510-526) in a wider context and as part of a trend to evaluate the quality and organisation of educational research, and its contribution to educational policy. (Contains 3 notes.)

This article discusses how the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) addresses the task of conducting international policy research. The article begins with a descriptive account of CERI's work, including the way member countries shape the research agenda. Several issues which relate to how research evidence is compiled within an international context are addressed. First, why the supposed priority area of lifelong learning is only weakly supported by systematic research is considered. The author raises the question of how we are to judge the quality and impact of international research work, especially where it is policy-related. He suggests that an increasing focus on the outcomes of education raises questions about causality in a policy research context. This leads to some brief consideration of evaluation of research, and of the country as a unit of methodological analysis. Finally, he asks what might be meant by learning from international experience. (Contains 5 notes.)

Imagery could add an extra dimension to analyses of lifelong learning, which need to draw on diverse sources and techniques. This article has two principal components. First I suggest that the use of images might be divided into three categories: as illustration; as evidence; and as heuristic. I go on to explore the latter two categories, first by discussing Philippe Aries' use of pictorial evidence to explore how children were not differentiated from adult life and learning in mediaeval times, and second by presenting five images which in my view open up fresh lines of thinking about adult learning. These include historical images of the lifecourse as a whole, and contemporary pictures such as those by Norman Rockwell and Frida Kahlo, which can enhance our analyses of age and period effects. (Contains 5 figures and 3 notes.)

Examines a theoretical framework of research organized by human, social, and identity capital. Reports results from two large-scale longitudinal datasets. Focuses on four outcome clusters: (1) health; (2) well-being; (3) social attitudes; and (4) political involvement. Concludes that education is an absolute prerequisite for promotion of personal well being and cohesive society. (CAJ)

Distinguishes between human capital and social capital. Examines the social construction of knowledge and various levels: families, organizations, and communities. (Contains 18 references.) (SK)

One part of a larger Scottish study focused on continuing education in health care. Senior health care professionals expressed concern about prolonging initial professional education and increasing privatization of responsibility for learning. Culture influenced learning behavior. Key issues included decreased funding, difficulty finding time for study, and less access to training in the "learning market." (SK)

Compares trends in England and Scotland concerning what young people do at the school-leaving age of 16 (previously 15), whether "stayers" continue in school or go to further-education colleges, qualifications (credentials) achieved by school leavers, and differences between girls and boys. Examines Scotland's postsecondary attendance patterns in relation to new needs for lifelong learning. Contains 45 references. (SV)

Explores forms of social capital and the relationship between human and social capital. Depicts the relationship between high and low social capital and initial educational attainment, participation in continuing education and training, and participation in nonformal education. (SK)

Expansion of higher education in Britain is driven by political expediency, resulting in imbalance between initial and recurrent education. To reach the goal of a learning society, there must be a better distribution between working time and education and recognition of learning as a social activity, not merely a human capital investment. (SK)

Responses from 556 part-time students in two universities and two further education colleges in Scotland found that 81% were employed full time; 62% had mixed personal and vocational motivations; and considerable fee support from employers was offset by a decline in released time for study. (SK)

Describes a British study of education and training for older adults. Briefly reviews older adults' participation in education and training, and identifies issues and obstacles. Defines a policy agenda, puts forth initial policy proposals, and discusses issues of quality and cost effectiveness. Refers to exemplary practices among employers and educational providers. (DMM)

Identifies a number of centrifugal pressures currently splintering universities which raise questions about academia's sense of community. Uses the analogy of smashing the atom to explore these pressures. Cites increasing numbers of temporary and contract workers which brings about a division of labor that affects the nature of academic discourse and sense of community. (DB)