The latest paper in Jobs and Skills Australia’s Lifelong Learning series, Systems at work: Trends in adult learning and outcomes, explores adult learning participation, performance and outcomes across Australia.
It examines how learning can support employment, income growth and employee retention, while highlighting opportunities to improve access, strengthen learning outcomes and build a more coordinated approach to lifelong learning across systems.
Key findings:
- Adult learning delivers positive outcomes, including improved employment, stronger income growth and greater employee retention.
- Unmet demand for learning remains high. Of all adults who wanted to participate or wanted to participate in more learning, 46% for VET, 40% for higher education and 24% for work-related training did not do so.
- Effective adult learning requires more than participation, with a focus on skill development and use, and tangible labour market outcomes.
- A coordinated approach across relevant systems can help improve learning pathways and outcomes.