United Kingdom : Continuing vocational education and training (CVET) for adults

Lifelong learning in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is often taken to refer to learning that takes placed after the young person has finished formal education and training. In Scotland lifelong learning has a broader ‘cradle to grave’ definition. The usual definition of ‘continuing’ in the UK context refers to learners over 19 years of age.
In recent years, vocational education has received greater attention from policy-makers. Governments in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have identified priorities in lifelong learning and adult learning, in particular. For example, the Lifelong Strategy for Scotland emphasises the ‘cradle to grave’ idea of lifelong learning and widening access to learning for all citizens. In Wales, the Assembly’s government’s strategy for the promotion of lifelong learning emphasises broadening learning pathways.
Access courses to HE are recognised by the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA) through their inclusion in a national scheme. A Student who successfully completes an Access course is awarded a certificate bearing the QAA Access logo.
Since April 2002, in England and Wales, state provided work-based learning for long term unemployed adults has been delivered through the Jobcentre Plus, under the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Scotland delivers its Adult training through Training for Work.
Government, the CBI and the trade unions are encouraging a range of approaches to workplace learning. To raise the profile of workplace learning and to involve the trade unions in a more focused way, legislation now enables the election or appointment of learning representatives by trade union branches. The Union Learning Fund has been set up with government funding through the TUC, to encourage an innovative approach whereby unions extend the training they give, for example to tackling basic skills weaknesses among their members. In Scotland the Scottish Executive funds the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF) as post of the strategy to tackle skills issues.
The strategy of government relies on encouraging individuals to take up learning and training opportunities, with a strong focus on the learner’s needs rather than on the institutional interest of the providers. The ‘New Deal’ system of placing requirements on young jobseekers is the clearest exception to this rule, where conditions must be met before there is an entitlement to benefit.

Livslang læring i England, Wales og Nordirland er ofte at henvise til læring, der tager placeres efter den unge har afsluttet formel uddannelse og uddannelse. Livslang læring i Skotland har et bredere "vugge til grav 'definition. Den sædvanlige definition af "vedvarende" i Det Forenede Kongerige sammenhæng refererer til elever over 19 år.