Lifelong regenerative skills development

In the 1970 book Future Shock futurist Alvin Toffler predicted that “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” With this starting point, this RSA commentary puts forward a case for a lifelong ‘regenerative’ approach to skills development.

The skills we need in the workforce are changing at an unprecedented rate (and will continue to do so), the amount of time we spend in jobs is falling, and the duration of our working lives is increasing.

“What this means is that our learning systems should be planning not just for lifelong access to courses, but for a lifetime of learning and learning and learning again… Taking a regenerative approach to skills means accepting that our learning is never complete, but is part of a cycle. Over a lifetime we will work to develop skills, many of which will become obsolete over time, and then we must begin the process again.”  

Regenerative skills development also includes the hard work of unlearning skills central to occupations in superseded and unsustainable jobs and industries.  

Source: Royal Society of the Arts, Learn, unlearn, relearn