The last year has seen a glut of cataclysmic predictions around the impact technology will have on employment. Of course, we've had technological disruption before, and each time mankind has been sufficiently able to adapt to ensure that employment levels remained very high. Doomsayers suggest however that this time is different. This time the change is so fast and so broad that we won't have the ability to adapt sufficiently, reports Forbes.

Whether you agree with this prognosis, it seems inevitable that society will have to get a whole lot better at facilitating lifelong learning so that people have as good a chance as possible. In a previous post, I explored some of the new roles that might emerge, and in this post I will explore how people can learn and adapt accordingly. It’s a topic that was the subject of the latest paper from the UK government's Foresight division. "Developing our skills is not just an aspiration, but with a changing job market is essential," its authors say. "This means not just raising the level of qualifications. It’s getting the right mix of abilities, technical knowledge demanded by the workplace and skills to use those abilities and knowledge. It’s about changing attitudes to learning across our lifetime and realising the positive benefits this brings."

University of life

Alas, despite both the growing need to learn and refresh our skills as we age, and the increasing number of ways we can efficiently and effectively do so, the report says that adult education in the UK is declining, and participation declines more as we age. What’s more, those that do engage in education as adults tend to be wealthier and come from a high existing skill level.

Those with fewer qualifications to begin with would often cite barriers such as a lack of confidence, lack of interest and a sense that they're too old. It's vital, however, that these barriers be overcome as people from this socioeconomic group gain the most from learning new skills. What's more, if these barriers aren't overcome, it's likely that this group will suffer most from any technological disruption.

Of course, there are also systemic challenges, with investment in training by employers falling by 14% and a rise in temporary or gig employment whereby the responsibility for learning shifts to the individual. The importance of change is underlined by the fact that those at the highest risk of their work being automated not only train the least but receive the least support in doing so, whether from their employer or from society as a whole.

So what can be done? A good place to start is in the early educational opportunities that people receive. The report found that the single biggest predictor of later participation in education is earlier participation. In other words, if people enjoyed learning at school and found it interesting and engaging, then they are more likely to carry that on into adult life.

Those from lower socioeconomic groups could also benefit from more support to help them learn effectively. For instance, while people of all sorts encountered barriers to learning, those from higher socioeconomic groups were better able to overcome those barriers, whereas those from lower socioeconomic groups succumbed to them.

The report also commends the route being taken by many MOOC platforms of breaking down courses into more manageable chunks that can allow a more flexible approach to learning that allows the student to overcome time pressures.

They also advocate adopting a unique approach to targeting specific groups. For instance, face-to-face contact is particularly valuable in engaging new learners, especially if it comes from intermediary bodies with strong roots in the local community.

"A longitudinal study of people who had undertaken community learning courses in the UK found that many benefits, including improved basic skills and motivation to apply for work, were felt most strongly among learners who lacked qualifications, came from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and/or lived in the most deprived areas," the report says.

To date however, the UK has not really grasped the nettle with regards to lifelong learning, and performs poorly against other leading nations. The authors hope that by better identifying the barriers to learning throughout life, both education providers and policy makers can do a better job of reaching a demographic that is in dire need of assistance.