Long Life Learning

Long Life Learning questions the current educational systems worldwide in relation to an increasing trend in job automation, growing life expectancy, and a devaluation in higher degrees, all with a strong focus on the future of work and urgency to adapt to it.

Many people find themselves at some point in their careers when they feel like quitting or changing their professional paths completely. As life expectancy grows, people start considering this even midlife. However, some find it difficult to do so, as they lack the luxury to just quit their jobs and pursue a different career.

Still, workers over 50 aren’t going anywhere, as pension funds and the Social Security Trust Fund are no longer a safe retirement choice due to lack of money. Instead, they require training according to their skills and the market demand to keep up with this working environment.

More than that, companies should integrate the people who have no budget for education into the working environment. Therefore, companies will invest more in R&D and training programs tailored for each worker, as this will save money in the long term by having a more efficient and integrated workforce.

AI-driven software will shape the future that will allow individuals to pursue their interests and develop skills accordingly.

Both employees and employers should start focusing on the demand and supply of commonly needed skills and how to tackle the challenges that come with training and developing them.

Automation is here to stay. People who have been working in repetitive jobs or jobs that robots can easily replace should expect this. However, they can do something to become a part of this transition rather than getting left behind.

For starters, it is essential to acknowledge these changes and not resist them. People should embrace this progressive change and know their options. For example, if self-driving vehicles replace a factory machinist, it still needs monitoring by someone with the skills to do so.

Therefore, the right approach is to learn during the job with the help of training programs especially designed to develop the skills we need. Targeted education programs are a great solution. Plus, with the help of virtual reality, trained individuals can now experience a more practical approach to learning.

Other ways to train adults through targeted education are on-ramps. These are programs that teach adults different sets of skills and place them into a local working environment. Adults can benefit from these short programs of learning and gain skills to advance in their careers or switch to new ones.