This article is based on empirical research conducted in Scotland between 2000 and 2002 into the New Deal for Musicians (NDfM)--a UK government training scheme for unemployed musicians which forms part of the "Welfare to Work" initiative. It argues that while the NDfM forms part of a wider lifelong agenda within current adult education policy based on developing human capital, the scheme is successful only when it manages to move beyond that narrow base to embrace social and (sub) cultural capital. As such, the programme lays down fundamental challenges to current UK lifelong learning policy and thus has important implications for adult educators. (Contains 4 notes.)