By: Sobha Beghoura
There is no need to discuss the importance of learning, as the recognition of its significance is deeply-rooted from the cradle to the grave.
However, what matters is the availability of means that ensure its continuity, whether for economic reasons or a livelihood challenge. The continuity of learning guarantees a future career path amid challenges imposed by artificial intelligence (AI).
Mastering Advanced Technologies
The current technological and scientific advancements have brought a global wave of change, leading to great strides in the human civilization.
Yet, it imposed a new reality that we have to tackle: confronting the misuse of technological applications; learning how to wisely address chaos to change the perception of education; and mastering the use of advanced technology to achieve better results.
Deduction Skills and Learning
Some pessimists think that we are way too far from a knowledge-based society, and that we have a deficiency in participation in international efforts to enrich the discussion with ideas on ways of cooperation to harness advanced AI tools that have deduction and learning abilities and can showcase knowledge and logic.
This deficiency is the result of a longstanding practice in the developing countries, which involves pursuing the largest amount of education at an early age to guarantee a longer career and higher financial earnings that ensure a better quality of life for the individual and their family.
Lifelong Learning
However, the new thing is that if a person wants to be an employee for the longest period, they must pursue learning throughout their life.
Skills they had acquired after graduation changed, as counterfactual data scrapped the old ideas which have largely become unacceptable intellectually, culturally, or practically because they do not meet the requirements of modern life.
Complexities of Modern Life
The complexities of modern life necessitate pursuing the largest amount of learning in the fields which keep pace with the requirements of the labor market. They also necessitate adapting with the volatility of change waves and increasing livelihood challenges. Thus, we face two issues:
- The impact of financial crises and their economic repercussions on the life of individuals and society.
- The impact of supply and demand on the labor market after the increase in university graduates and the low financial returns.
AI Technologies
One of the biggest challenges is the rapid advancements in AI technologies and applications across various businesses and in daily life.
AI technologies have replaced many employees and workers. Therefore, the continuity of learning and fostering knowledge has become a key lifelong investment.
New Skills
Observation and practical experience have shown that the university degree at the start of an individual’s career cannot replace new skills. On the contrary, there is a growing need for new skills as an individual advances in their career.
In the light of this, occupational training plays an effective role in honing the skills of employees and workers, and enhancing their knowledge, to keep pace with technological advancements and digitalization in all walks of life.
This knowledge has to be acquired at an early stage. Hence, a state must equip its employees with the necessary experiences, at a time when employers have become reluctant to train their employees due to a lack of interest in developing their workforce capabilities.
Ironically, some organizations have abandoned this responsibility, seeking ready-to-work employees. Thus, an individual has become responsible for their own occupational development.
Decline of Organizations Training
The decline in training programs within organizations can be attributed to many reasons. Training budgets are often unstable and prone to cuts as a result of financial difficulties or economic pressures.
Furthermore, changes in labor market patterns lead to a review of the feasibility of training programs, while exploring other options to complete tasks, such as automation and outsourcing.
Self-Career Development
Optimists see positive aspects in making available avenues of self-career development and online training courses provided by global employment-focused companies, in addition to LinkedIn and Lynda online learning platform which offers courses through LinkedIn Learning.
In addition, the online technology learning company Pluralsight has a library of on-demand training videos. Moreover, universities are increasingly adopting online learning curricula.
Individual Learning Accounts
Many Asian countries, including Singapore, heavily invest in providing their citizens with curricula upon which they can rely throughout their career.
To this end, these countries created and funded individual learning accounts for each citizen over the age of 25 to enroll in training programs offered by 500 accredited training institutions.
Furthermore, France has created individual training accounts that enable employees to pay for 24 hours of training annually over 8 years.
Career Promotion Services
Specialized companies have gained prominence in providing career promotion and occupational development services. These include One Month, Codecademy, and the London-based General Assembly company which offers various educational services, such as hard skills like coding and data mining, in addition to soft skills like leadership, adaptability, and resilience.
Shared Coding Language
The success of this company in teaching shared coding language in a program spanning 10-12 weeks across its 20 global branches with over 35,000 graduates is a clear example of the increasing demand on career development and lifelong learning.
It is also an example of the significance of these organizations in our communities, as they have become a necessity for the individual’s present and future and for the development of the modern economy.
