Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs.
Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the domain include: degree credit courses by non-traditional students, non-degree career training, college remediation, workforce training, and formal personal enrichment courses (both on-campus and online).
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development argued, however, that continuing education should be "'fully integrated into institutional life rather than being often regarded as a separate and distinctive operation employing different staff' if it is to feed into mainstream programmes and be given the due recognition deserved by this type of provision".
It was successful and broadened almost immediately beyond courses for Sunday school teachers to include academic subjects, music, art and physical education.
In 1976 the University of Florida created its own Division of Continuing Education and most courses were offered on evenings or weekends to accommodate the schedules of working students.
Depending on the field, these requirements may be satisfied through college or university coursework, extension courses or conferences and seminars attendance.
[16] The World Bank's 2019 World Development Report on the future of work[17] explains that flexible learning opportunities at universities and adult learning programs that allow workers to retrain and retool are vital in order for labor markets to adjust to the future of work.