Recommendation 1

The benefits of adult skills and lifelong learning are well-evidenced and include benefits for productivity and the economy, for health and wellbeing, and for social justice and communities. To respond to the significant challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an ageing workforce, the skills gap, and the devastating impact of Covid-19, we need to make sure adults can upskill and retrain throughout their lives. Now more than ever there is a pressing need to ensure adult learners are equipped with the necessary skills and education to aid our economic recovery.