Lifelong learning or re-training for life: Scapegoating the worker

AbstractThis article explores the current focus of lifelong learning in Canada. It looks at the new economy, the increasing polarisation between the rich and the poor, the role lifelong learning plays in supporting this polarisation and describes why so many Canadians continue to believe the training-as-panacea rhetoric. The article highlights the need for research that will challenge current lifelong learning policies, explore new economy issues from alternative perspectives and view lifelong learning from a more holistic perspective. It also identifies a need for adult educators to lobby for more progressive lifelong learning policies that will improve the quality of life for all citizens.