Wales is a nation that has a strong culture of and commitment to LLL (lifelong learning). The concept of LLL in Wales stems back to “adult education” that goes back to reforms and movements in the early 1900s1. Although there are many LLL offers available and citizen of Wales have entitlements to learning, the reality is that the uptake is in decline. Participation of LLL over the last decade has steadily fallen, and there are large inequalities to LLL uptake by age, socio economic background and prior educational attainment.

There are many reasons for this decline in uptake of LLL. Some reasons often given at an individual level are reasons such as lack of time, distance to learning provider, financial costs, or lack of childcare to take up LLL. Wales have made attempts to eliminate these through different support mechanisms. Other reasons are external factors that are outside of Wales control, such as the decision of the UK to leave the European Union (Brexit) and the current cost of living crisis because of the global crisis with the Ukraine war. As in the rest of the world Wales has also gone through major changes in education and learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has led to a recent push over the last three years for online and distance education in times of school closures and national lockdowns. In addition to these larger external factors, Wales also has an ongoing discussion about its relationship with England and the United Kingdom. This tension is now openly referred to as devolution and spans across the four countries in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island).

With all the many changes Wales has gone through in the last three years, Wales has, and continues to show strong commitment to LLL. In Wales the government prioritises LLL as a key aspect of its policy. The Welsh Government recognises that the ability to learn through life is essential for personal development, and it is committed to providing its citizen with access to a wide range of LLL opportunities. This includes initiatives aimed at improving basic skills, vocational training, higher education, and personal development training. The overall goal of these policies is to ensure that the Welsh population has the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in an ever-changing job market and to support their continued growth and advancement.