Adult Lifetime Skills: A literature review

This report presents the results from a literature review that was carried out to inform the Scottish Government’s development of a lifetime skills offer. Following the anticipated scope of the lifetime skills offer, the focus of the literature review is on adult work-based learning and retraining opportunities for those already in work.

The aims of the literature review include:

• to review the available published academic literature and policy / practice evidence on adult upskilling and retraining opportunities in Scotland
• to gain an understanding of how Scotland’s approach to lifelong learning compares to that taken in other countries, focusing on lessons that Scotland can learn
• to understand the role skills and training play in alleviating poverty, and specifically child poverty, in Scotland
• assess what we know about the impact of current skills provision in Scotland on equalities.