This executive summary sets forth the findings from a study of adult education opportunities and policies in industrialized countries. Focus of the project is on programs for workers, older persons, women entering the labor force, parents, and undereducated adults in nine countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, the Soviet Union, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The summary consists of five sections. The first two sections contain information on the background of the study and the contents and organization of the project report. A brief outline of the adult education policies, programs, and opportunities in the nine countries covered in the report is provided in section 3. Section 4 presents descriptions of reports by country consultants on the state of adult education in their respective countries. The final section presents a discussion of the implications of these programs for government policy in the United States, with special emphasis on the areas of the educational needs of workers, older persons, women entering the work force, parent education, and under-educated adults. (MN)