Learning for the New Century Rt. Hon. David Blunkett, MP, Secretary of State for Education and Employment, UK I'm very pleased indeed to be able to make a contribution to what is the important issue of the new century. We've been developing, both in Britain and in the European Union, the idea of lifelong learning as a key element in equipping people for that new century, both as individual citizens, in terms of their quality of life and their creativity, but also in terms of being able to hold down a job. And you'll know as well as I that the important element for the education and employment systems of the future will be the success of each of us in acquiring those basic skills and being able to apply them and recognising just what happens if we do not. For all of us the task is to get that message across: that learning is for life; that we can renew our skills; that gives us greater security in employment; but it also equips our nations to be able to take on the scourge of unemployment; to be able to equip ourselves for competitiveness; and to ensure that Europe is in a position to take advantage of the new technologies of that new century Home