Conference Program

The transformations within contemporary labour markets are profoundly redefining the relationship between employment, learning, and professional development. The increasing prevalence and diversification of self-employment across European economic systems highlight lifelong learning as a pivotal dimension in sustaining an individual’s ability to navigate productive contexts characterized by technological innovation, volatile career trajectories, and the growing individualization of skills management.

From a sociological perspective, self-employment serves as a prime vantage point for analyzing the processes of individualization inherent in contemporary labour markets, where individuals are increasingly required to autonomously design and sustain their own professional paths (Beck, 2000). Simultaneously, the proliferation of independent and discontinuous forms of work can engender new vulnerabilities, resulting in greater barriers to accessing educational opportunities (Standing, 2011). This contribution offers a theoretical reflection on the nexus between self-employment and adult learning, specifically examining how working conditions influence access to education and the feasibility of constructing lifelong professional development pathways.

The capabilities approach allows for an interpretation of lifelong learning not merely as participation in training programs, but as the genuine potential to expand professional opportunities and career choices (Nussbaum, 2011). In this light, access to educational opportunities represents a decisive factor in bolstering professional autonomy and countering the reproduction of inequalities within career trajectories.

Parallelly, research on workplace learning emphasizes that development occurs largely through informal and social processes embedded in daily professional practices. Communities of practice and professional networks constitute fundamental environments for the production and circulation of knowledge (Wenger, 1998), while the workplace learning framework interprets learning as a progressive participation in meaningful work activities (Billett, 2011).

In self-employment, these processes take on specific characteristics. The absence of consolidated organizational structures and a weaker integration into institutional systems make learning more dependent on individual resources, self-organization, and activated social and professional networks. Empirical evidence from major national and international surveys corroborates this configuration. Data from the INDACO Adults survey (by Inapp) reveal in Italy a sharp polarization in training participation among self-employed workers, contrasting highly qualified profiles with more traditional segments of independent work characterized by fewer resources and more restricted access (Barricelli & Carolla 2023). Such elements demonstrate how working conditions profoundly shape learning opportunities and, more broadly, the capacity of individuals to maintain and develop their professional capital (Angotti & Di Castro 2024).

In light of these theoretical and empirical perspectives, self-employment can be interpreted as a critical space for analyzing the redefined relationship between education, labour, and economic citizenship in contemporary societies. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of these dynamics for lifelong learning policies, highlighting the need to strengthen territorial and professional learning ecosystems capable of supporting access to training opportunities outside of traditional organizational contexts, thereby contributing to the reduction of educational inequalities across the various segments of independent labour.