From Human Capital to Lifelong Learning

OECD’s growing emphasis on the importance of lifelong learning represents a sometimes uncomfortable validation of the field of Lifelong Education. But this emphasis comes not from a view that Lifelong Education needs to adapt, but rather than neo‐classical thinking in Economics has failed to capture human potential. The change in OECD thinking follows two decades of substantial changes in thinking within the subfield of Economic Development. This article traces the evolution of thinking in this subfield from its roots in Human Capital theory, through the acceptance of competitive advantage conceptions of development and on to the profound changes that followed. The result is a view of social progress that embraces human agency, collaborative learning, social values and environmental sustainability. The implications for Lifelong Education are substantial. The changes imply that leadership in the Lifelong Education approach will be needed and incorporation of the values within the field is becoming incorporated in mainstream education and economic arenas.