Education, skill training, and lifelong learning in the era of technological revolution: a review

Abstract

Rapid technological development makes skills depreciate faster than in the past while new technologies generate gaps in workers' skills and call for the acquisition of appropriate skills and lifelong learning. Proper skill mixes for future jobs include strong cognitive skills, basic information and communication technology, and analytical skills, as well as a range of non-cognitive skills such as creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication. Retraining and reskilling workers are also crucial, particularly as life expectancy increases. All these changes lead to a major rethinking of education and skill training throughout a person's life. This paper reviews the recent studies on human capital and skill formation in the era of rapid technological progress. Findings from these studies, particularly in labour economics, can shed light on new directions for lifelong education policies, for example (1) parental investment in preschool learning is reflected in highly positive adult outcomes; (2) as far as education inputs are concerned, teacher quality is far more important than additional school resources; and (3) government workforce training programs are largely ineffective as compared to private training, which contribute significantly to worker productivity.

Reskilling and Upskilling the Future-ready Workforce for Industry 4.0 and Beyond

“…Therefore, while the relative supply of more skilled workers has increased since the mid-1980s, the demand for skilled labor increased even more because of technological change. Information technology alone can explain between 60 and 90% of the estimated increase in the relative demand for college-educated workers from 1970 to 2000 (Kim & Park, 2020 ). In summary, in a labor-intensive industry, routine tasks will need reskilling while skilled professionals need upskilling.…”

Innovative Learning Scheme to Up-skilling and Re-skilling – Designing a Collaborative Training Program Between Industry and Academia Towards Digital Transformation

“…Many authors have highlighted the lack of qualified personnel and the need for continued training as two of the main barriers to digital transformation [9,10,11]. Although the development of appropriate skills to face the needs of the dynamic and complex business environments is an important condition for companies' competitiveness [12], the rapid development of new technologies makes skills become obsolete much faster than in the past, generating gaps between companies' needs and workforce availability [13]. Achieving this balance is a crucial aspect of the readiness for the adoption and implementation of new technologies.…”

“…Achieving this balance is a crucial aspect of the readiness for the adoption and implementation of new technologies. In this sense, it is imperative to find ways to allow workers to acquire skills that meet the new job requirements and maintain and update these skills over time [13].…”

The impact of e-learning, gender-groupings and learning pedagogies in biology undergraduate female and male students’ attitudes and achievement

“…Internet and the rapid improvements in communication technology have influenced a revolution in education in the past two decades (Almasri, 2022;Adams & Morgan, 2007;Alonso et al, 2005;Austin, 2017;Kim & Park, 2020;Rudestam & Schoenholtz-Read, 2010;Szymkowiak et al, 2021; Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education 2010; Wang & Chen, 2007;World Economic Forum, 2020). As a consequence, the e-learning modality has emerged (Clark-Ibáñez & Scott, 2008;Li, 2020;Rudestam, 2004;Saba, 2005) and has greatly influenced the Science, Technology, Engineer, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in general and biology education in particular (Austin, 2017;Goldenfeld & Woese, 2007; Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education 2010; Woese, 2004).…”

“…Many studies brought insights that well-designed e-learning biology courses can be as effective as their faceto-face counterparts (Biel & Brame, 2016;Siemens et al, 2015). E-learning allows for greater flexibility, convenience in timing, and location for the benefit of both the instructor and students who cannot be physically present on campuses (Cavinato et al, 2021;Kim & Park, 2020;Kim et al, 2012;Lipsey et al, 2012). A growing number of students are now opting for e-learning classes to traditional in-classroom (Paul & Jefferson, 2019;Sun & Chen, 2016).…”