Many chapters in this volume show, either directly or indirectly, that, in general, there are two main approaches to lifelong, namely lifelong learning as a labour market instrument and lifelong learning as a human right to (self-)development. Depending on the approach, the position of lifelong learning in labour law differs. Which approach prevails, though is not a labour law issue, but depends on the dominant socio-economic context of a society. Therefore, this contribution starts with an analysis of the EU’s dominant socio-economic context followed by a forward look to what the EU’s dominant socio-economic context might be in the future. Based on these analyses, the chapter concludes that in the current EU’s socio-economic context of neoliberal free market economy, lifelong learning as a labour market instrument prevails, whereas a likely future-dominant socio-economic context of a wellbeing economy lifelong learning as a human right will prevail.