Developing future work
How is a learning system for professionals designed?
FIBK
A new training system for professionals that is more specific, flexible and lifelong is a key element for the future of work.
Education and learning system today are (in general) too rigid and slow to keep up with the velocity of social and economic change. What educational, skilling and re-skilling innovations could best service professionals and society as a whole, in times of profound changes, particularly amidst constant COVID pressure around the globe?
1.1.- Real life learning labs
Corporate partnership across industries to create collaborative platforms where seasoned professionals, students and recent graduates can exchange knowledge, learn and hone skills in high demand in the market, so that they acquire and prove genuine experience while they conduct useful work.
Grounds for the proposal: Create a hybrid spin-off from GitHub and IconHotel.
“We propose an ecosystem based on a collaborative, hybrid platform where college students in their final years can gain real work experience in companies partaking in the ecosystem, together with universities and public bodies.”
Future Trends Forum expert
1.2.- Commitment from early childhood education onwards
Curriculum driven by the industry: companies are better placed to understand the skills future professionals will need.
Companies are partners and promote curricula, validated by the Public Administration.
The point is to design a curriculum from early childhood onwards, including small and diverse learning lessons, building a broad variety of profiles.
Grounds for the proposal: 2U is a platform that inspired this recommendation. Its motto is: “Edtech with a human touch”.
1.3.- The XXI century curriculum
New types of schools provide learning and mentoring in social skills and monitor students throughout their school and college years, including learning and support to parents.
The goal is to nurture resilient people who can face the future with realistic optimism and are ready to learn throughout their lifetime.
Grounds for the proposal: Evolving and innovating based on the model and Harlem Children’s Zone.
“We must start by preparing children and their parents from a very early age if we want to shape the future of work.”
Future Trends Forum expert
1.4. Post-graduate collaboration
Proposal: An experiential learning system that supports students to work in useful projects for society at any stage in their lives.
This way, people are motivated to learn because their achievements have obvious and immediate value.
The platform to support this must be sustainable and scalable, purposefully encouraging diversity and multi-disciplinary, multi-age work teams.
Grounds for the proposal: Draw from initiatives such as JustServe.org, which connects volunteering work organizations with volunteers.
1.5. Lifelong learning system
An industry-driven solution with a novel business model. It seeks to engage companies to pay for advanced learning and contribute with a percentage of wages towards their employees’ constant upskilling.
The solution recommended combines advanced laboratories, novel educational methods and skill certification and formal accreditations.
The government would grant scholarships and accredit skill learning suppliers of areas linked to national strategic priorities.
This emphasizes a new culture of learning that reflect a value system led by women to encourage holistic development, collaboration, humility, empathy and flexibility—all these are increasingly demanded needs in the 21st century.
Grounds for the proposal: We find inspiring initiatives in the Netherlands, such as the Netherlands AI Coalition (NL AIC), and Europe in general, with ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems).
It is worth mentioning degreed in the US, which connect professional learning and developing skills so that companies and professionals are always prepared for the next great challenge.
There is Barefoot College in India, a global network of women, focused on the sustainable development of poverty-ridden communities.
“Public Administrations must promote new collaboration ecosystems where professionals are at the core and their employers root for their lifelong learning“
Future Trends Forum expert
