Lifelong learning: more important than ever

There are various reasons why employees need to stay up to date with their knowledge throughout their careers. For example, technology and society change where you stand. The retirement age is moving further and further. But what's more, new knowledge refreshes you and increases your job satisfaction. And we think the latter is actually the most important reason!

Wake up call for everyone: let that brain crack!

The type room. The generation before us still grew up with it. Rows of desks side by side, with industrious ladies filling stacks of paper. Leaf after leaf. Hour by hour. Every mistake was carefully cleaned up and overwritten with Tipp-Ex. Every keystroke hurt your ears.

But yes, those handy silicone earplugs didn't exist yet. The hearing care professional now probably has a lot of work on all those elderly former typists with hearing impairment.

To the museum

‍A new reality has now arrived. The typewriters have disappeared like snow in the sun. The distant nephew, the fax, was transported to the museum almost silently.

There he is enjoying dust next to the telegraph and the telephone with such a circle cord. The typists of the past are gone because they are no longer necessary. After all, we are now all tapping our tablets, phones and laptops ourselves.

Labour market evolution

‍So yes, there is also something like evolution in the labor market. Until recently, that was almost organic. Developments were easy to keep up with. And if the employee's body or flexibility ran out, retirement was usually almost in the picture.

After all, that was often not even 65 years old, but sometimes even 10 (!) years earlier. So there was usually no man overboard. Not then.

A look at fresh employees

‍Technological developments are now accelerating. Phones and computers have become stale after just a few years. No longer suited to modern requirements. If it doesn't matter, we'll buy a new one.

But what about that if an employee is no longer up to date? That is a lot more complicated. Because with a bit of luck, that pension only comes when there are 67 candles on the cake.

And nowadays, you're not just pulling a can of fresh employees off the shelf.

Structural training

‍In short, where retraining and refresher training used to be used occasionally in crisis situations, such as reorganization or reintegration, textbooks now need to be opened more structurally.

Otherwise, the employer and employee will miss the boat and there will be little left of that much-needed sustainable employability.

Employers are certainly aware of the need for lifelong learning: 76% of the collective agreements pay attention to sustainable employability. 51% of employers are concerned about the competencies of their staff. And 51% are also concerned about the employability of their staff. So that's okay, you might think.

How then?!

‍Unfortunately, many employees seem to be wealthy: 30% say they do nothing about their development. 53% do follow a training course, but only focused on the current position. And 65% of employees think they can easily find a new job if they want to. How then, if you've been standing still for a few years?! Dream on!

Thing!

‍It is time for a wake-up call.

Dear people, don't do this!

Society rages on, while you stare in front of you. Take control of your life! Expand your knowledge, sharpen your eyes, develop those competencies.

Not just because you'll be more productive and understand how the world works. But how sad is it when you count down the number of months before you can retire, and your counter starts at 120?

‍Take on a new challenge and look beyond your nose. Be happy again!

Put pepper into those careers

‍There are more and easier development opportunities than ever. It is up to the employee to take control, but as an employer, you can facilitate it easily. Just to name a few options:

Bid individual coaching and guidance on. In doing so, make convenient use of subsidy options, like those for people over 45. Remember to make competitive price agreements with the providers; as a regular customer, there is certainly a good deal to be made.

Create work experience places, where employees can browse new perspectives without obligation. This way, they can immediately experience whether that other position really suits them.

Involve employees in developing new courses and functions, so that they actually meet practical needs.

Have regular individual conversations to test whether the career path that was once taken still fits the employee's situation. Health, family situation and interests may change. This has a direct influence on employability and motivation. SIn doing so, don't hesitate to use (online) assessments and tests: they can be very enlightening.

And, last but not least: make an attractive learning platform with all kinds of knowledge and information. Easy to keep up to date, and very flexible: the employee can use it at any time. Pluvo has various options for this. Want to know more about this? Feel free to contact us!

Everyone happy

‍In short, there are more roads that lead to Rome well and sustainably. Take advantage of that. The right education and training not only increases the employee's employability, but also their job satisfaction. And that makes everyone happy!