Tomorrow’s evolving workplace: Lifelong learning

The world economy is still suffering the aftershocks of the recent recession. Companies are striving to expand into new markets and use technology to make their operations cost effective. To do this, they require workers who not only have the skills needed for today’s jobs, but who will be flexible enough to keep up with organizations’ ever-changing skill demands as they create new positions in the decades to come.

The book “Society 3.0: How Technology Is Reshaping Education, Work and Society” examines the role of education in keeping U.S. industries at the forefront. It predicts which worker characteristics will be key to this goal; the educational requirements that employers will have for tomorrow’s jobs; and the teamwork necessary among schools, government, and business to develop career-oriented citizens who view learning as an ongoing process.

Seizing the competitive edge

According to Society 3.0, U.S. companies risk losing business to foreign competitors because their workers are better educated. As a result, today’s employers increasingly require degrees as a prerequisite for highly skilled jobs. American workers must strengthen their critical thinking, embrace technology, and become lifelong learners to remain employable. Current trends in technology, longevity, and business structure also mean that workers also will need radical new skills to thrive in the data-driven, interconnected workplace of tomorrow.

What does this mean for…

Workers? —With higher education more vital than ever for landing jobs and advancing career earnings, you can trump the competition by entering a degree, technical, or certificate program. Seek those that teach in-demand new competencies such as social intelligence, cross-cultural competency, transdisciplinarity, new media literacy, and virtual collaboration.

Businesses?— Start working more closely with educational institutions to craft programs that train and develop a skilled workforce. This will help produce the viable candidates who can prevent a talent shortage. Some companies are even establishing private educational ventures to train your employees directly, or partnering with existing educational institutions that offer customized educational tracks , adaptive learning tools, and metrics derived from customer resource management technologies. These features can ensure that students and their employers obtain the greatest benefit, and that they graduate with the skills their company—and America—need for a prosperous future.