Author Description

This report reviews the engagement of older learners (defined as those aged 50 and over) in education and training with particular reference to their involvement in higher education. The ageing of populations was one of the most important trends in the 20th century and will raise major challenges in this century. In 2007, for the first time ever in the UK, the percentage of the population under the age of 16 dropped below those of state pension age. The number of people aged 50 to 64 will rise to 21.7 million by 2032, an increase of a million on the 2007 figure. These trends suggest that social institutions will need to find fresh ways of adapting to and supporting an ageing population. The report examines the contribution that higher education might make to this process and suggests how universities might respond to changing patterns of demand (which will be influenced by varying patterns of work and employment as well as changes in the older age cohort). It also consider how policy changes could remove some of the barriers to the participation of older people in higher education.