Lifelong learning plays a key role in labor market policies in the EU. In the context of the increasing rate of people with higher education and changes in markets for skilled jobs, universities have begun to engage in adult education and active labor market policies. The article presents the results of studies of unrepresentative cases of university adult education programs conducted in seven European countries with special focus on middle-aged people, who are increasingly vulnerable socially. One of the salient features of the case studies was the social effectiveness of university adult education programs from the point of view of access to jobs and the quality of work / life. The results of the case studies along with analysis of the results of other European projects permitted a continuous training scheme the essential dimensions of universities in adult education for socially effective
