This is a fascinating time for adult learning in the UK. With a plethora of reviews reaching report stage alongside ongoing discussion about funding, qualifications and quality and the review of post-16 planning and funding in Wales, there is a real sense that things are about to change after a decade of well-meant but often misfocused reform. There is now an opportunity for serious reflection on how to deliver the demand-led system ministers would like to see in a way that has both the needs of employers and the wishes of learners at its heart. In this article the author sets out six "demands" which should frame debate about the creation of a truly demand-led system.