TO BE PUBLISHED October 2025
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This conference will consider next steps for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and priorities for its launch in England in 2026.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess the way forward for LLE’s phased rollout from January 2027, with students able to apply for funding from September 2026, looking at challenges facing universities, further education providers, and employers in adapting to the new funding system.
Preparing for rollout and addressing challenges
Sessions in the agenda will consider the readiness of providers for implementation and the administrative and operational challenges in delivering the new integrated system. Areas for discussion include preparations for modular learning and standalone module funding, the design of student finance for lifelong learners, and the impact of implementation delays on stakeholder confidence, infrastructure planning and student engagement.
Modular learning and flexible learning
Those attending will also examine the shift to funding and delivering individual modules at Levels 4-6, allowing learners to access elements of qualifications rather than full courses to support greater study flexibility. How the LLE can deliver a flexible, learner-driven model will be discussed, looking at supporting stackable qualifications, and approaches to facilitating credit accumulation and transfer between institutions.
Delegates will consider the development of a credit accumulation and transfer framework to ensure learner progress is recognised and portable. Priorities for course design and delivery will be discussed, and how to ensure modules are functional as standalone units with clear outcomes and alignment to employer needs.
Finance model
There will also be discussion on the wider efficacy of the financial model in meeting evolving needs of lifelong learners, as well as regulatory and funding implications, including interaction with the OfS, quality assurance, and existing qualification frameworks. Discussion will centre on priorities for balancing flexibility and financial sustainability with learners engaging in standalone modules rather than traditional degree-level qualifications, including cost-sharing between higher and further education institutions in developing and delivering modular content and pooling resources.
Meeting skills needs
Further sessions will assess the role of employers and industry partnerships, and how the entitlement aligns with regional skills shortages, workforce demands, and broader economic aims. Delegates will examine how the system can best support mid-career retraining, including potential incentives to drive employer engagement, as well as looking at the adaptability of the framework for sectors facing rapidly changing skill requirements. The way forward for employer partnerships will be considered, alongside priorities for regional upskilling.
Delegates will assess the balance between flexibility and financial sustainability, examining whether the integration of the LLE into the existing student finance system will create complexity for both learners and providers, and approaches for mitigating this impact moving forward.
Encouraging take-up
We also expect a focus on widening and engaging participation in lifelong learning, with discussion on approaches to tackling barriers to participation, supporting social mobility and economic inclusion. Delegates will examine learner willingness to take on loan-based funding later in life, and how this might impact uptake, particularly with reports that over 60s will not be able to access university loans from 2027.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DfE; IfATE; OLS; DBT; Defra; DWP; Department for the Economy, NI; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
