By the year 2000, at least 20 percent of Europeans will be over 60 years old. As the labor force ages, older employees will have to contribute more to the productivity of organizations. Due to rapid technological changes, more retraining will be required. Education can fulfill important functions for older adults, but their learning style must be taken into consideration. To get insight into participation in and the need for education, recent data comparing 100 people over age 50 to 299 people under 50 in the district of Middle Limburg in the Netherlands were analyzed. Thirty-five percent of those over 50 have pursued educational activity in the previous 5 years compared with 50 percent of those under 50. Motives to participate are personal growth and better understanding of societal developments. Reasons for nonparticipation are lack of time and being too old. A strong relationship between participation and former education exists. Older adults with more education more often enter courses. The variety of provisions for education for older adults is reflected in a fragmented financing system, ad hoc structure, and incompatible cultures. A policy for education for the elderly needs to be developed that anticipates adequately the challenge for lifelong learning. (14 references) (YLB)