Work and Education in The Year 2040

2040... only 30 years away. Some of you reading this will still be in your HR jobs. I hope to be retired by then.. but you never know... But I digress. Author/Futurist Edward Cornish, in his book Futuring: The Exploration of the Future surmises about what the year 2040 MAY look like. He covers several areas, but the one that I thought had more relevance to HR was his statement on Work and Education. He said "Due to rapid technological change, globalization, and other factors workers will need to change jobs with increasing frequence to stay employed in 2040. There may  be few jobs that assure lifetime employment. Most workers will have to reinvent their careers to keep up with the fast-changing workplace. To cope with the complexities of the job market and find positions suited to their talents and interests, workers will be more dependent than ever on career counselors, coaches, and mentors."

He goes on further to say "To meet changing job requirements, workers will be forced to constantlly update their education and skills.  Education will no longer be viewed as an activity for young people but as a continuing necessity throughout life."

Cornish even projects that the world of 2040 may have LEGAL requirements for adults to continue their education so they can remain economically productive.

In this post of mine from last year on the importance of continuing education there was a call for life long learning. A short video points this out. So start now!