Supporting the OECD to define and measure informal learning, so the skills people gain outside formal education are better recognised in policy.
Commissioned by the OECD Centre for Skills, with support from the governments of Flanders (Belgium), Luxembourg and the Netherlands, this project addressed a long-standing gap in skills policy. The skills people pick up through everyday life, at work, through social interaction and through self-directed learning have never been consistently defined or measured, despite being one of the most accessible ways to build skills in a fast-changing, AI-driven economy.
Work Advance supported the OECD through the recommendations and reporting phases. Our role centred on developing the policy recommendations, including a proposed shared definition of informal learning, a typology of its different forms, and options for improving how it is measured. We helped design and deliver an international virtual workshop and a series of expert meetings to test and refine this thinking.
The resulting report, published in the OECD Skills Studies series, proposes a comprehensive definition and a more coherent measurement framework. It sets out ten actionable recommendations to help countries build a stronger evidence base and embed informal learning in their lifelong learning and skills policies.
Giving informal learning the recognition it deserves
OECD, with the governments of the Netherlands, Flanders (Belgium) and Luxembourg, 2026
Heather Carey, Work Advance
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