Charts the ways in which the shape of life in Britain is changing and suggests that, for lifelong learning policy, the two key issues are that people are experiencing more frequent and less predictable life transitions, and that they are spending more of their lives outside the labour market. Looks at how this uncertainty can be managed; where learning for individuals and for society fits in; and the need to consider the timing, balance and content of learning in order to respond well to demographic change. Calls for a rebalancing of policy attention by age and by purpose.