What is the Role of Lifelong Learning in Relation to Economic Growth in Malaysia?

Lifelong learning is continuous learning throughout the life of an individual. It can occur through formal and informal means. Formal means include training, counselling, tutoring, mentoring, apprenticing, higher education, etc. Informal means include experiences gained etc. Malaysia considers education to be a vital agenda and crucial foundation to optimise every citizen’s potential, especially regarding obtaining the Wawasan 2020 objective to achieve a zero illiteracy rate by the year 2020. This national endeavour will all be for nought if the education system fails to produce human capital that can meet the challenges and innovations of a 21^st century economy. It is believed that through appropriate training and education level, citizens should be able to perform well in their work. Learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge cannot be restricted to formal educational settings. Effective learning needs to be integrated into the work process, as well. Training is often considered a variable that can be plugged into an economic model. This paper will discuss the significance of lifelong learning for an economy using the economic growth theory of human capital and learning-by-doing.