In South Africa the concept of lifelong learning has been developed by the trade unionmovement, particularly in organisations within the Congress of South African TradeUnions (Cosatu), as one of the components of a reconstructed education and trainingsystem capable of meeting both equity and development needs. One of the aims of aprogramme of lifelong learning, as Adrienne Bird of the National Union of MetalWorkers of South Africa (Numsa) explains. is the "incremental skilling of workers bymeans of a system that knits together formal and informal or on-the-job learning" (DSAin Depth. 1993:42). From the above it is not surprising that the Skills Development Act(199) was a brain child of the department of labour. The challenge facing thedepartment of labour, is to implement its dream and reap the fruits. Field (2000:133)states that "the education policy matra of the new millennium is lifelong learning". Theresearcher hopes it is not just one of the millennium excitement but a reality as it issignificant for the nation.