In Wales, the expression ‘lifelong learning’ is often used as an umbrella term for forms of learning which fall outside the school system. However, there is no universally accepted definition of the expression and other terms may also be used, including ‘further education’. This is the term used in the legal framework for education taking place in a non-school context for those over the age of full-time compulsory education (16 years). Details of this provision are described in the chapter on ‘Adult Education and Training’ and in the associated articles on funding, quality assurance, teachers, and management staff working in adult and further education.

Responsibility for aspects of lifelong learning is shared between the Minister for Education and the Minister for the Economy and Transport.

The Minister for Education holds responsibility for:

• further education
• the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, including vocational, key skills and essential skills qualifications
• adult community learning.

The Minister for the Economy and Transport holds responsibility for:

• careers policy
• apprenticeship policy and delivery
• youth and adult employability policy and delivery
• work based learning providers
• sector skills and workforce skills development.

Published in July 2017, the policy statement Adult Learning in Wales sets out the Welsh Government’s priorities for adult and community learning (ACL). It emphasises that ACL should address the needs of local communities at the same time as supporting key areas of national importance. These areas are:

• the development of essential skills in communication (including in English for speakers of other languages, ESOL), application of number, and digital literacy to ensure that adult learners are best placed to access work opportunities, or to progress while in employment
• the development of essential employability skills
• programmes to enable older learners to continue to improve their skills and employability, and social engagement programmes which enable older people to continue to participate in learning in an informal way and which have a positive effect on their health and wellbeing
• programmes to support parental engagement activity and to re-engage adults with learning
• Welsh-medium provision.

Following a 2018 consultation, in July 2019, the Education Minister announced the next steps for the delivery and funding of community-based adult learning. This will include two stages: stage one will focus on the planning and funding of existing provision while stage two will focus on developing a national strategic body for community-based adult learning. See ‘Funds for adult and community learning (ACL)’ in the section ‘Mechanisms for allocating public funds’ in the Adult Education and Training Funding chapter for further details.

Objectives to ‘build ambition and encourage learning for life’ and ‘equip everyone with the right skills for a changing world’ form part of the Welsh Government’s ‘Economic Action Plan’ Prosperity for All published in December 2017.

In addition, the cross-departmental Employability Plan, published in March 2018, has a focus on tackling unemployment and economic activity, and identifies four main themes:

• an individualised, or personalised, approach to employability support
• the responsibility of employers to up-skill and support their staff
• responding to current and projected skills gaps
• preparing for a radical shift in the world of work.

The Minister for Educaton provided a progress report on implementation of the plan in March 2019. See the subheading ‘Employability and skills’ in ‘Main funding principles’ in the Adult Education and Training chapter for further information.