A learning revolution

13 June 2025

Andrew Crisp examines the challenges and opportunities for universities embracing lifelong learning.

Most revolutions tend to be known for their final moments, the dramatic upheaval before the new regime is installed.  In reality, most revolutions start in much more mundane ways with small changes.  In today’s higher education landscape, there are plenty of signs of these small changes, shifts that in time may lead to a learning revolution.

The challenge of change

CarringtonCrisp, working with the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, has just released a new report, ‘Making Lifelong Learning Central to University Strategy’, which documents some of the changes taking place, the learning desires of individuals and employers, and the challenges universities face in embracing change.  The study involved interviews with universities and employers, desk research and surveys with 10,210 learners and 1,255 employers from around 40 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa and Asia, with the learner sample split across age groups from 20 to 80.

Today’s universities are largely focused on teaching those under 25, and doing so in a linear fashion.  Of course, there are some postgraduate taught degrees beyond 25, notably the MBA, but this accounts for a tiny percentage of overall admissions.  The revolution will mean universities teaching students up to and beyond retirement.

Demand from learners and employers

The starting point for change is understanding what lifelong learners and employers might want.  Inevitably, learners want specific skills and personal development; 68% expect to upskill or reskill to advance their careers, and 69% believe they will need to update their learning more frequently to stay current with evolving skill requirements.  Often return on investment is a key consideration when choosing what and how to study. That said, a genuine interest in a subject remains important, with 23% of all respondents selecting it as a primary motivation.

Flexible, short and certificates

Learning will need to be delivered flexibly, 75% suggest they are only likely to engage with learning if it is delivered in a flexible format.  In many cases that won’t mean degrees - postgraduate degrees rank only seventh in terms of interest among learners, instead there is a clear preference for short courses and certificates lasting from a week to a month.

However, demand for lifelong learning is clear.  Almost three-quarters (74%) of individuals are more likely to remain with an employer that actively supports their development, and 64% are more likely to join an organisation that includes lifelong learning in its employee offering.

University is a popular choice

Learners may not want more degrees, but universities and colleges are the most popular choice for those looking to study, although around a third would choose a commercial online learning provider.   However, some learners are discouraged from choosing universities due to perceived high costs and the misconception that they only offer full degree programmes.

Demand for learning will also come from employers trying to boost productivity and keep their workforce up to date with new technologies.  The report found that more than 70% of employers agreed on the importance of universities:

• continuing to develop more flexible learning approaches
• offering affordable programmes that deliver practical, work-relevant skills
• becoming more innovative in how they support lifelong learning

That innovation will mean many things, but more than half of employers suggest that activities considered ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ valuable include:

• subscription models that allow staff to personalise their learning journeys
• on-demand video content to reinforce and extend learning
• bite-sized updates that can be completed in under an hour

Doing things differently

For universities seeking to make lifelong learning central to their university strategy, there will be a need to think and act differently.  Change across systems, staff, delivery, practice and more will be a feature whether that’s focused on small steps or revolutionary shifts.  However, as Jonathan Michie, Chair of UALL and President of Kellogg College, University of Oxford, writing in the report sets out ‘Provision should be central to the university strategy, but the focus will vary depending on the university’s wider mission, history and positioning.  The primary purpose may be community-based, part of a civic mission, supporting the development of key skills, engaging employers, developing alumni relationships or a combination of these and other elements.”

More than degrees

At the launch of the report at the House of Lords in early June, Dame Professor Sally Mapstone, President, Universities UK and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, and others, made it clear that lifelong learning doesn’t mean the end of degrees.  Instead, this is universities building in a new direction, creating a wider learning offer that meets the needs of learners across their lifetimes, in different settings, with different delivery formats, all to create a learning revolution.

A summary of the report findings can be downloaded here.

The full report is available free of charge here.