LIFELONG LEARNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF INNOVATION PERFORMANCE: An International Comparison

Thematically this article is located at the intersection of three broader topics: the changing demographics in the workplaces, particularly workforce ageing; jobrelated skills and competence, and; learning, creativity and innovation for individual and societal productivity and prosperity. The starting point here is the situation in which the proportion of ageing workers (40-plus) in workplaces is increasing. This trend is accelerating in many countries in the years to come (UN, 2013). This is happening at a time when “skills have become the global currency of 21st century economies” (OECD, 2012a), the key to productivity and employment (ILO, 2008), and innovation activity