Workplace learning has become a central pillar of lifelong learning strategies across Southeast Asia, shaped by national, regional and international policy agendas that increasingly foreground digitalisation as an economic imperative. While lifelong learning was once framed primarily in terms of personal development, contemporary policy discourses now position digital skills, innovation and adaptability as essential to workforce competitiveness. This shift presents a double-edged proposition. On the one hand, digital technologies offer powerful possibilities to enrich learning at work, expand access to knowledge, and enhance worker agency. On the other hand, they risk deepening existing inequalities (Rott & Schmidt‐Hertha, 2024), as access to meaningful workplace learning remains uneven due to disparities in digital literacy, socioeconomic position, intersecting social identities, organisational culture and institutional support. The framework is developed through a comparative synthesis of two workplace studies conducted in Southeast Asia, Brunei and Thailand, to develop an actionable framework for equitable digital transformation in the workplace. Set within different research methodologies, the studies examine how workers in organisations engage with digital technologies in everyday learning practices. Rather than treating digitalisation as a uniform or technologically deterministic process, the analysis foregrounds how learning opportunities are socially embedded, mediated by organisational norms, power relations and access to resources. By bringing these two studies into dialogue, the paper identifies shared structural tensions and context-specific dynamics shaping inclusive workplace learning. Key findings reveal that digital technologies alone do not democratise learning. Instead, their capacity to enrich workplace learning depends on intentional organisational practices, including structured mentorship, supportive leadership, recognition of informal learning, and policies that address unequal starting points amongst workers, such as their roles and individual differences (Trauth et al., 2004; 2008). Importantly, the synthesis highlights how workers exercise agency within constraints, adapting, resisting or reinterpreting digital tools in ways that reflect their capabilities and workplace environments. The resulting framework integrates three interrelated dimensions: individual capabilities, institutional structures and policy alignment. Together, these dimensions offer practical guidance for organisations and policymakers seeking to design inclusive digital learning ecosystems. In conclusion, the paper offers evidence-based insights for developing targeted interventions—such as equitable workplace policies, contextualised professional development (Littlejohn and Margaryan, 2014) and inclusive digital strategies—that leverage digital innovation to empower all segments of the workforce. In doing so, it underscores the imperative of aligning digital transformation with social justice and inclusive learning opportunities in the future of work.

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