Elif Bahar, OECD: “Upskilling demands flexibility, funding and motivation”

Elif Bahar from the OECD stresses the need for workers to update their skills—but how, when time, cost and access are barriers? In her Speakers’ Corner column, Bahar shares possible solutions. The column series is produced in cooperation with the European Association for the Education of Adults.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and the transition to a greener economy, adult learning is becoming more important than ever. These structural changes, alongside others, will affect the way we work and the type of jobs we do.

Many sectors have been struggling with skills shortages and may continue to do so as populations age and technologies replace or augment some of our abilities. Therefore, it’s important that workers engage in upskilling and reskilling programmes to continuously update their skills and prepare themselves for the future of work.

Workers need to prepare themselves for the future of work.

Ensuring adult learning is flexible, accessible and inclusive is vital to boosting the participation of vulnerable groups. Data from the latest round of the OECD’s Survey of Adults Skills show that tertiary-educated adults are significantly more likely to participate in adult learning than adults who have not completed an upper secondary education (OECD, 2025a).

Additionally, adults with tertiary education tend to score higher on tests of numeracy, literacy and problem solving (OECD, 2024). Gaps in training participation and skills proficiency also exist for other groups, such as older and foreign-born workers.

Whilst on average about 40% of adults across OECD countries participate in some form of adult learning in a given year, this rate could be higher with one in four adults facing barriers to participation (OECD, 2025a).

THE BIGGEST BARRIER preventing many adults from engaging in lifelong learning is a lack of time either due to work or family responsibilities. Many adults also report that training is either too expensive or held at an inconvenient time or place.

These data on barriers tell us that training programmes need to do better – they need to become more flexible, modular, shorter and cheaper to ensure we don’t miss out on potential learners.

Training can be made more flexible along four key dimensions (OECD, 2023a):

1. Time – Varying schedules, part-time options, evening/weekend classes, and asynchronous learning make it easier for adults to fit learning into busy lives.
2. Place – Distance, online, and workplace-based delivery allow learning to occur where it’s most convenient.
3. Mode – A mix of face-to-face, online, hybrid, and blended methods caters to different learning styles and time constraints.
4. Content – Modularised programmes, programmes that deliver both transversal and job-specific skills, and content that is tailored to individual learner needs ensures training is relevant and engaging.

In addition to offering more flexible courses, training providers could also consider adapting admissions processes, for instance by reducing entry requirements or allowing for alternative entry pathways, to broaden access. This could be especially supportive for learners without formal qualifications.

Moreover, recognition of prior learning systems – whether conducted in-house during the admission stage or externally by government bodies – can support the validation of non-formal learning.

By undertaking such a process, learners can have their existing knowledge and skills recognised, shortening the timeline to receive a more formal qualification, and potentially opening up access to jobs that may have not otherwise been available to them (OECD, 2023b).

POLICY MAKERS ALSO have a key role to play to boost the incentives to make adult learning provision more flexible. With the growth of micro-credentials, governments must recognise the need for quality assurance to enhance trust in the system.

Quality assurance is needed to enhance trust in micro-credentials.

Some OECD governments regulate the quality of individual programmes (e.g. New Zealand), some certify entire training providers (e.g. Switzerland), while others do a mix of both.

Some countries, notably Ireland, have also made progress in linking non-formal adult learning courses like micro-credentials to National Qualifications Frameworks, to increase transparency and allow learners to see their potential learning pathways.

Financial incentives are also key to help lower the cost of training and broaden access, with Individual Learning Accounts – such as the system in France – becoming popular (OECD, 2025b).

Ultimately, by encouraging more flexible learning options, governments can reduce some of the barriers to participation, improve the skills of everybody and make sure no group is left behind.

Disclaimer: This article was prepared by Elif Bahar from the OECD Secretariat and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. This contribution builds on existing publications by the OECD.

References:

OECD (2025a), Trends in Adult Learning: New Data from the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ec0624a6-en.

OECD (2025b), Advancing Adult Skills through Individual Learning Accounts: A Step-by-Step Guide for Policymakers, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/08e1bdaf-en.

OECD (2024), Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World? Survey of Adult Skills 2023, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b263dc5d-en.

OECD (2023a), Flexible adult learning provision: What it is, why it matters, and how to make it work, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-sub-issues/adult-learning/booklet-flexibility-2023.pdf/_jcr_content/renditions/original./booklet-flexibility-2023.pdf.

OECD (2023b), Recognition of prior learning: A practical guide for policy makers, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-sub-issues/adult-learning/booklet-rpl-2023.pdf.

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This article is part of the theme 'Flexible Learning Approaches 2025'.

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