The July editorial for the Australian Journal of Adult Learning (AJAL) is being written at a time when we find ourselves living in the second year of a global pandemic, which has changed the nature of how we live, work and learn in Australia and the rest of the world. We write this editorial at a time where many of us are again locked down, working from home and having limited face to face contact with others. We note the economic and social consequences of the pandemic on adult learners, many of whom engage in insecure work or require retraining after being furloughed due to the pandemic: