Learning throughout life can open up new opportunities as people’s interests, goals and circumstances change.
As part of Jobs & Skills Month and the Pathways to Success theme, we’re sharing research that offers fresh perspectives on lifelong learning.
Released by Jobs and Skills Australia, the Adult learner cohorts: unpacking adult learning participation and demand report, identifies four groups of adults: those whose demand for learning is met, partially met, unmet, and those with no demand for learning. It considers what influences people’s interest in learning and the circumstances that can affect their ability to take part.
The research highlights how confidence in learning and expectations about its benefits may shape people’s decisions. Opportunities to use skills at work may also influence how relevant further training feels to them. This is particularly true for adults with lower incomes, levels of educational attainment and occupation skill level who are relatively less likely to report demand for adult learning, raising concerns about the potential for cumulative disadvantage.
The report also finds that around 1.6 million Australian adults wanted to participate in learning that they did not undertake in 2024-25, with time, cost and caring responsibilities among the main barriers. Women, people with disability, and unemployed and underemployed people were more likely to experience unmet demand.
Together, these findings offer an important insight for Australia’s jobs and skills system. What makes learning worthwhile and accessible can differ from person to person. Understanding these differences can help employers, training providers and others consider how to support participation.
By bringing research like this into the conversation, Jobs & Skills Month helps build a shared understanding of how learning can shape people’s pathways to success throughout life.
Explore the research
Read the full report to learn more about demand for adult learning in Australia and the potential approaches to supporting participation and outcomes.
Discover more during Jobs & Skills Month
Explore the Jobs & Skills Month calendar to find events and activities taking place throughout the month.