The stepping- stones of lifelong learning policies: politics, regions and labour markets

The present special issue looks at lifelong learning through the lens of policy studies. The articles explore an array of official strategies that have attempted to deliver varied forms of lifelong learning in Europe and Latin America. These strategies have to do with adult education and learning, vocational education and training, higher education and employment policies. All of them focus on how decision-makers have designed and implemented certain policies in these areas. This special issue draws on the outcomes of several wide-ranging research projects that have recently investigated which programmes attempted to deliver lifelong learning on the ground. Thus, most articles report on findings of two projects that received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Particularly, ENLIVEN: Encouraging Lifelong Learning for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe studied interventions in adult education markets and how these can be made more effective (Grant Agreement No. 693989); whereas YOUNG ADULLLT: Policies Supporting Young People in their Life Course undertook a comparative analysis of lifelong learning and inclusion in education and work in nine member states of the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 693167). Two more contributions on Latin America enrich the geographical and institutional scope of this special issue. One such contributions draws on the project RCUK-CONICYT Governing the educational and labour market trajectories of secondary TVET graduates in Chile, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council through the Newton Fund (Grant Agreement No. ES/N019229/1).