The article reflects the relevant factors of introducing specialized education. The first group of factors relates to the specifics of adolescent development. The second group of factors relates to the development of a network of educational institutions in the education system of modern Ukraine. Small towns and rural areas suffer from scarcity of gymnasiums, lyceums, schools with in-depth study of subjects. At the same time, major million cities also feel the need to increase their numbers. The third group of factors is determined by pan-European educational development objectives. The main attributes of lifelong learning that determine the transformations of specialized education are: "formal," "substantive" and "meaningful attributes." Let's briefly consider each of these attributes. "A formal attribute" implies a temporary duration of the educational process and can be extended to the period of adult life ("lifelong learning"). "A substantative attribute" orients each pupil to the gradual enrichment of their creative potential. "A meaningful attribute" reflects the integrity of the lifelong learning cycle. The study of the effectiveness of the implementation of principles of lifelong learning as a basis for specialized education was based on a number of features. First of all, we are talking about the selected sample. After all, to trace the reasonability of applying the principles of continuing education in the process of professional formation it is necessary to diagnose individuals who have passed all the steps of this process. At the same time, the selected population of respondents was divided by gender into two groups. This made it possible to establish the diversity of views of men and women on the problem of continuing education. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the specifics of the implementation of the lifelong learning principles and to determine whether professionals feel the need for additional training.