Making the case for lifelong learning: PIAAC and policy change

Abstract

My paper looks first at why learning through the adult lifespan is important and valuable for individuals, communities, companies and for governments. Secondly, it looks at the relationship between the range of challenges facing countries in the light of economic, technological and demographic change, and the available evidence of adults’ competence to address those challenges. For this it draws heavily on the very rich evidence in the OECD Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC) (OECD 2013). The paper notes PIAAC’s primary focus on skills related to the labour market and productivity, and its useful survey of aspects of social capital. It complements this by considering other forms of quantifiable data, and qualitative studies relevant to policy making that affect a wider range of lifelong and life-wide learning. These include looking at evidence from longitudinal studies, more targeted surveys, and the rich range of narratives drawn on in advocacy work.