Workplace learning is one of the key drivers of adults´ participation in lifelong learning. Adult education increases innovation and productivity making companies more successful.
The positive link between learning and work is obvious: Learning workers, employees, entrepreneurs and volunteers are more innovative and productive – this makes companies more competitive and successful. Digitalisation, internationalisation, service orientation, flexibilisation, all these megatrends on the labour market have one thing in common: they raise and change the requirements for competencies of employees. This is not a new development. What is new is that the demands are changing and increasing faster than ever.
Keeping up with the changes
The new demands increase in parallel the pace at which employees have to adapt to the constant change and to gain new competencies. Professional competencies need to be updated regularly and meta-competencies such as social and communications competencies become essential.
Almost every study on labour market developments and the future of work comes to the same conclusion: in order to master the ongoing transformation, continuous training and workplace learning is simply indispensable – not only for low-skilled employees but for all employees. Equally, for those out of work, adult learning increases resilience and reduces the effects of loss of confidence associated with unemployment of over three months.
People without the right skills are highly vulnerable to labour market changes. This calls for continued investments in education and training. EAEA therefore highlights the importance of up- and reskilling and underlines that all learning is good for employment.