Informal and non-formal learning in vocational education and training

Informal learning and nonformal learning are the primary foci of this chapter. It provides an overview of how formal, informal and nonformal learning can contribute to people’s lives in various parts of the world and in various work settings. Informal learning is by far the most prevalent form of adult learning and offers benefits to all age groups and people, including older workers, migrant groups and refugees, and people who are disengaged from learning. It is also of great benefit to small business who lack the resources to formally train staff and plays an important role in the workplace. Informal learning has been described as an iceberg: mostly invisible at the surface and immense in its mostly submerged informal aspects (Livingstone 2000). Informal learning goes on daily in a variety of everyday contexts: from the workplace to the home, and through technology and the mass media. The chapter looks at the role of learning in workplaces and reflects on what the increasing focus on informal learning means for vocational education and training (VET) systems. It concludes with questions about the extent to which less formal sorts of learning should be defined.

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