Lifelong learning (3L) has become an increasingly prioritised issue for both companies and organisations. But why has this become such an important issue now? And haven’t higher education institutions always been devoted to lifelong learning?
The answer to the first question is in many ways found in the digitalisation of working life that had already come a long way before the pandemic, but has well and truly accelerated due to it. This in turn leads to many individuals being compelled to make a work transition because previous job opportunities are disappearing. Another dimension is political decisions regarding retirement age. Many people during a working life of around 45 years will want to change career, which in certain cases may lead to requests for further education.
In parallel with the above, there was a change to the Higher Education Act on 1 July this year, which states that higher education institutions are now responsible for lifelong learning. In addition, the government’s modernisation of labour law also contains a proposal for both public study support and new public work transition support.
It appears naive to believe that the higher education institutions can satisfy all the dimensions this involves. But which parts do we want to further develop and which parts can we focus on? During the autumn, the University Management has had discussions in different contexts with representatives of companies/organisations in various sectors. This was to enable the University to get a better understanding of how external organisations are thinking about these matters.
What has clearly emerged for these discussions is that companies would like to see the University focusing on shorter digital courses that are preferably intended for individuals who already have a university degree. It is fully possible to further develop this niche and it is interesting from an LU perspective! And then we get the answer to the question: hasn’t the University always been devoted to lifelong learning? Both yes and no. The form of 3L provided by freestanding courses will not be sufficient for 3L in the future.
Internal discussion within the Education Board and External Engagement Council will continue during the autumn.
It is pleasing to note that there is a considerable interest among the students on issues relating to lifelong learning and the future of teaching. Indeed, the theme this year for Venture Lab’s Lund Innovation Challenge, an event intended for students, is The Future of Education.
/Kristina Eneroth
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Venture Lab’s Lund Innovation Challenge 2021
