The present special issue looks at lifelong learning through the lens of policy studies. The articles explore an array of official strategies that have attempted to deliver varied forms of lifelong learning in Europe and Latin America. These strategies have to do with adult education and learning, vocational education and training, higher education and employment policies. All of them focus on how decision-makers have designed and implemented certain policies in these areas. Policy agendas around the world set the priorities that are at stake in political debates at a certain moment. Increasingly, the ultimate references of these debates are becoming similar across the world, particularly within world regions like Europe and Latin America. Certainly, all educational authorities do not necessarily make the same decisions, but they share some common concerns on what is important and what kind of actions must be undertaken. The editors invited the contributors to this special issue to scrutinise the implications of lifelong learning policies in a variety of states and localities to explore the interplay between commonalities and differences within and across Europe and Latin America. A rapid look at the SustainableDevelopmentGoals, thewidening intervention of the EuropeanUnion (EU) in the educational field, and the working of UNESCO in Latin America easily documents the relevance of lifelong learning in global policy agendas. Thus, the SustainableDevelopmentGoal 4 (SDG4) expects to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 14). In the same vein, the EU has enacted a policy framework that encourages its member states to expand education to all age groups. The European Council has issued a series of recommendations on early school leaving, adult education and learning, and vocational education and training. A relevant recommendation urges member states to implement aYouthGuarantee Scheme (YGS).All these initiatives encourage national and sub-national governments to provide education beyond the ages of compulsory schooling (European Council, 2013). In Latin America, the regional vision of UNESCO has argued that current socio-economic transformations have transformed lifelong vocational education and training into an indispensable policy (UNESCOOficina Regional de Eduación para América Latina y el Caribe, 2016). In this view, this policy is an optimal instrument to address the simultaneous challenges related to the demographic bonus and the middleincome trap. This special issue draws on the outcomes of several wide-ranging research projects that have recently investigated which programmes attempted to deliver lifelong learning on the ground. Thus, most articles report on findings of two projects that received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Particularly, ENLIVEN: Encouraging Lifelong Learning for an Inclusive and Vibrant Europe studied interventions in adult education markets and how these can be made more effective (Grant Agreement No. 693989); whereas YOUNG ADULLLT: Policies Supporting Young People in their Life Course undertook a comparative analysis of lifelong learning and inclusion in education and work in ninemember states of the EuropeanUnion (Grant Agreement No. 693167). Two more contributions on LatinAmerica enrich the geographical and institutional scope of this special issue. One such contributions draws on the project RCUK-CONICYT Governing the educational and labour market trajectories of secondary TVET graduates in Chile, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council through the Newton Fund (Grant Agreement No. ES/N019229/1). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFELONG EDUCATION 2020, VOL. 39, NO. 1, 1–4 https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2020.1747589

中文翻译：

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终身学习政策的垫脚石：政治、地区和劳动力市场

本期特刊从政策研究的角度审视终身学习。这些文章探讨了一系列官方策略，这些策略试图在欧洲和拉丁美洲提供各种形式的终身学习。这些战略与成人教育和学习、职业教育和培训、高等教育和就业政策有关。他们都关注决策者如何设计和实施这些领域的某些政策。世界各地的政策议程设定了在某个时刻在政治辩论中处于危险之中的优先事项。这些辩论的最终参考在世界范围内越来越相似，特别是在欧洲和拉丁美洲等世界地区。当然，所有教育当局不一定会做出相同的决定，但他们对什么是重要的以及必须采取什么样的行动有一些共同的关切。编辑们邀请本期特刊的撰稿人仔细审查不同州和地区终身学习政策的影响，以探讨欧洲和拉丁美洲内部和之间的共性和差异之间的相互作用。快速浏览可持续发展目标、欧盟 (EU) 在教育领域的广泛干预以及教科文组织在拉丁美洲的工作，很容易证明终身学习在全球政策议程中的重要性。因此，可持续发展目标 4 (SDG4) 期望“确保包容和公平的优质教育，并促进所有人的终身学习机会”（联合国大会，2015 年，第 14 页）。同样，欧盟制定了一项政策框架，鼓励其成员国将教育扩大到所有年龄段。欧洲理事会发布了一系列关于提前离校、成人教育与学习、职业教育与培训的建议。一项相关建议敦促成员国实施青年保障计划 (YGS)。所有这些举措都鼓励国家和地方政府提供超过义务教育年龄的教育（欧洲理事会，2013 年）。在拉丁美洲，教科文组织的地区愿景认为，当前的社会经济转型已将终身职业教育和培训转变为一项不可或缺的政策（UNESCOOficina Regional de Eduación para América Latina y el Caribe，2016 年）。在这种观点下，该政策是解决与人口红利和中等收入陷阱相关的同时挑战的最佳工具。本期特刊借鉴了几个范围广泛的研究项目的成果，这些项目最近调查了哪些项目试图在实地提供终身学习。因此，大多数文章都报告了获得欧盟地平线 2020 研究和创新计划资助的两个项目的结果。特别是，ENLIVEN：鼓励终身学习，打造一个包容和充满活力的欧洲研究了成人教育市场的干预措施以及如何使这些措施更有效（赠款协议编号 693989）；而年轻的成年人：支持青年生命历程的政策对欧盟九个成员国的终身学习和融入教育和工作进行了比较分析（赠款协议第 693167 号）。另外两篇关于拉丁美洲的文章丰富了这一特刊的地理和机构范围。其中一项贡献来自 RCUK-CONICYT 管理智利中等职业技术教育与培训毕业生的教育和劳动力市场轨迹的项目，该项目由经济和社会研究委员会通过牛顿基金资助（赠款协议编号 ES/N019229/1）。2020 年国际终身教育杂志，第一卷 39，没有。1, 1–4 https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2020.1747589 另外两篇关于拉丁美洲的文章丰富了这一特刊的地理和机构范围。其中一项贡献来自 RCUK-CONICYT 管理智利中等职业技术教育与培训毕业生的教育和劳动力市场轨迹的项目，该项目由经济和社会研究理事会通过牛顿基金资助（赠款协议编号 ES/N019229/1）。2020 年国际终身教育杂志，第一卷 39，没有。1, 1–4 https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2020.1747589 另外两篇关于拉丁美洲的文章丰富了这一特刊的地理和机构范围。其中一项贡献来自 RCUK-CONICYT 管理智利中等职业技术教育与培训毕业生的教育和劳动力市场轨迹的项目，该项目由经济和社会研究委员会通过牛顿基金资助（赠款协议编号 ES/N019229/1）。2020 年国际终身教育杂志，第一卷 39，没有。1, 1–4 https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2020.1747589