Investing in people's success starts with lifelong learning.
As Andy Burnham takes office, he’s spoken about investing in people's success and putting the care of people at the heart of everything he does. Lifelong learning should be central to that ambition.
Devolution is already shaping the future of learning and under Burnham we’re likely to see it go further and faster. That could be beneficial. Local leaders often have a clearer view of what people in their area need. But it also risks creating a postcode lottery, where access to learning depends more on where you live than what you need. It risks making existing inequalities even harder to tackle. And when 9 million adults still lack essential literacy, numeracy or digital skills, and record numbers of young people are falling out of education and work, local action alone isn't enough. National leadership is needed too.
That’s what we’re seeing through our Lifelong Learning Labs campaign where throughout 2026 we’ve brought together learners, educators, employers, experts and communities to rethink what adult learning is and what it could be. The experiences they’ve shared have reinforced that learning helps people live well. It supports health, builds confidence and create opportunities before problems become crises. They’ve also highlighted how difficult it can be to access learning, and how narrow and uneven the support available to adults has become.
If the new PM is serious about prevention, investing in people’s success and putting people at the heart of public services, lifelong learning needs to be part of that vision. We’re calling on the new Government to make it a priority and commit to a national strategy that guarantees fair access for every adult, wherever they live.
