It is increasingly difficult to be a citizen, a family member or a worker, to be young or to be old, without the acquisition of new skills. And these are not simple skills; they are complex, creative, thought-provoking and challenging skills. Many more people are capable of acquiring and using these skills than have the opportunity to do so. Individuals need higher-level skills for their personal development. Communities and families need these skills to help them create new and better ways of living for themselves and for others, whether as part of the "Big Society" or not. Economic and social prosperity in the knowledge age rest not only on adults learning throughout their lives, much of the time in higher education, but also on universities' willingness to think radically about the changing needs of their students. The author argues that adult access to part-time and flexible study is simply non-negotiable.