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In 1988, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched a six nation study of adult learning and social inclusion. OECD was interested above all in answering the question of what works. This workshop provides an opportunity to learn about the lessons for policy and practice from this project and to discuss their applicability in university continuing education. There is a growing concern over the impact of a 'knowledge society' on social inequality and marginalisation. Most of the OECD work in this area focuses on the contribution of human capital to economic growth. The risk, however, is that the general support for lifelong learning may inadvertently increase social polarisation between the majority of the population who learn across the life span and a minority of the 'knowledge poor'. The 1998 study considered good practice in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico and the United Kingdom (UK). The workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss specific practical lessons as well as a number of questions about the nature and effectiveness of policy.