Due to digitalization of the economy students of higher educational organizations must possess digital competencies, both for the performance of professional duties and for learning in a digital environment. Adult learners are a heterogeneous audience, and have different levels of readiness to study in the electronic information educational environment (EIEE). Most of the adult learners need tutor support for their educational activities. The functions of a tutor are defined in standards, but they depend on the age, psychological, social, and professional characteristics of the students. The article aims to analyze the functions of tutoring support for lifelong education of adults in the electronic education environment. Difficulties in distance and blended learning are determined; the typical problems the adult students face with when completing additional professional programs are named. The typical functions of tutor support for different categories of adult learners are inductively identified and described. The experience of implementing the functions of tutors in the framework of the federal project "New Opportunities for Everyone" of the national project "Education" on the basis of the South Ural State University (National