9.1 The most important stakeholders and partners in lifelong learning are the learners themselves and, crucially, potential learners. Their motivation, commitment and continuing involvement in learning is essential to the success of the vision of lifelong learning for all. In many respects the whole of this report and the advice in it is geared to increasing their number, discovering and meeting their various needs and finding appropriate ways of funding, providing and recording their learning achievements. The first need, clearly, is substantially to increase their number and to ensure their continued access to learning opportunities throughout life: unless this is achieved, there can be little prospect of moving progressively towards a culture of lifelong learning for all.

9.2 Mechanisms should also be put in place to give learners and would-be learners timely, and appropriate, information, guidance and support. They need to be encouraged and stimulated into taking increasing control over their own learning, planning for its development and investing in their own futures. This means that appropriate measures should be established to record learning achievements and units towards full qualifications, especially in the early stages of people's lifelong learning career where boosting confidence and self-esteem through recognition of progress can work wonders for motivation and morale.

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