Skills and Lifelong Learning

Skills and Lifelong Learning (LLL) are of crucial importance for workers’ organisations, both as actors and as stakeholders. This is even more the case today as the world of work has been changing rapidly. In this transformation, jobs will be disrupted, some categories of jobs will disappear, existing jobs may be reshaped, while new jobs will be created.

Hence, in a world of work in constant transition, skills development and LLL are critical for all workers, either active or unemployed, in the formal and informal economy. They are critical to ensure that no one is left behind, in particular women, youth, persons with disabilities, workers in rural areas, migrants or refugees, or workers in non-standard forms of employment.

Skills and LLL are essential to enhance all workers’ capabilities to participate fully in decent work, to contribute to inclusive development and active citizenship, as well as to strengthen democracy and promote social justice. Skills and LLL systems need to be designed, with the participation of workers’ organisations, so that workers can acquire the skills of their choice to get jobs and to keep jobs, and to be equipped to face the transitions they will be confronted with over the working life.

Skills development and LLL also need to be high on the agenda of workers’ organisations: