The article provides a theoretical reflexion on the shift from education to lifelong learning, proposing the concept of educational trajectory as a new interpretative tool of education as a part and a dimension of the life course and the life course as structuring education processes. In depicting this theoretical framework, the focus is posed on the interactive nature of the learning experiences, which result from both structurally determined factors and subjective choice. The article ends with proposing some research questions deriving from this interactive approach.