individuals who have left the education system are harder to reach and adult learning and training is generally much less available and less generously funded than formal education for young children and students this chapter discusses inequality in outcomes in education skills and labour market participation during adulthood as well as the gaps between various groups of the population in participation informal and nonformal adult education and training it also discusses policy interventions that can mitigate inequality in learning and labour market outcomes between adults from socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds first of all learning should be focused on improving the employability of adults through a combination of education and training and practical job training targeted support needs to be provided to adults with a low level of educational attainment and without basic literacy and numeracy skills particular attention should be paid to young adults who are not in employment or in education neets single mothers and women who have had to leave the labour market due to child care responsibilities as well as the immigrant population