Life-long education, in which the learning process is continuous and unbroken, for the professional is discussed from the standpoint of obsolescence, its symptoms and causes, and present efforts to cope with it. The concept of half-life is used to describe a professional's competence, and it is stated that the two factors that are most prominent in hastening professional obsolescence are the rate of change and the addition of new data and knowledge. Two examples of coping with teacher obsolescence, in Japan and Great Britain, are briefly described. It is believed that psychologists possess specific skills by which they can contribute to continuing education and, at the same time, they may benefit by new employment opportunities in this field. These skills relate to: motivation, adult learning, measuring and assessing professional competence, the development and use of educational technology, counseling adults (mid-career change and interpersonal competence, external degree programs, and post-graduate residential programs for professionals), research in continuing education (learning, adult development, communications, and organizational behavior), innovative human service programs, group behavior and laboratory practice in group leadership, individual behavior, the psychology of learning, and learning theory. Four major national priorities for continuing education to which psychologists can make significant contributions are: program planning, leadership development, research development and high-priority items (child development, disadvantaged minorities, urban development, population explosion, alcohol and drug abuse, delinquency, violence, improved delivery of human services, and worker training). (DB)