ITALIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

Lifelong learning is the issue that best characterises the recent development of Community policies. Since the formulation of the idea of an Europe of knowledge, the view of human capital as a strategic European resource has been progressively asserted and strengthened. In the light of the recent economic, social and cultural changes, the knowledge and skills acquired in childhood and adolescence can no longer be sufficient for a lifetime and it becomes essential to supplement education in adulthood. In this context, a positive and open attitude to learning and developing the concept of “learning to learn” become essential. In this paper the author examine some recent transformation of labour market and social policy system in Europe. Then she analyze the specific role, in a postfordist society characterized by the decline of European traditional welfare systems, of some innovative lifelong learning tools which have been introduced even in Italy in order to promote employability and active citizenship of individuals.