Degrees of flexibility

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is the headline UK reform, but it’s only one signal of a much bigger shift in how learners want to engage with higher education. From January 2027, learners in England will be able to draw on the equivalent of four years of student finance across their working life, for modules as well as full courses. Internationally, the direction of travel is moving faster still: stackable credentials, employer-led skills provision, and modular pathways are reshaping what a degree means and who it’s for.

At the same time, AI is accelerating the rate at which skills become outdated, and learners increasingly want provision that fits around work, caring responsibilities, and careers that no longer follow a single track. Most UK institutions, though, are still built around three-year cohorts, academic-year cycles, and student record systems that assume a single enrolment decision.

Join Wonkhe and Salesforce to explore where lifelong learning is heading beyond the LLE, how the UK fits into the global picture on degrees and skills, and what it will take for providers to support the same learner across multiple credentials, years, and life stages. Hosted by Wonkhe editor Debbie McVitty with Richard Michel, Chief Information and Digital Officer, University of London and Jean Pembleton, Director of Education Industry and Solution Marketing, Salesforce. Sign up below.