The Looming Reskilling Challenge: Endless Opportunity, Even More Complexity 

for Higher and Continuing Education

Saul Carliner, Concordia University

Track: Partnering with Faculty and administration/ Volet: Partenariat avec le corps professoral et l'administration

Type: One-hour Innovative Topic Discussion

Here’s the good news: With automation and AI expected to replace millions of jobs and reshape millions more, the demand for education is expected to grow. But here’s the challenge: six-month coding courses and similar quickie, broadly focused approaches are not likely to provide the preparation workers need. This session explores why and suggests strategies that education professionals can adopt to prepare for the growth in workers seeking up- and reskilling from academic and continuing education programs, and the types of experiences institutions can provide to support workers in remaining employable (Carliner, Driscoll & Thayer, 2021).

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the bifurcated nature of emerging employment, with the largest opportunities at either the lower-skilled or highly skilled ranges of the spectrum 
• Characterize skills gaps between current and emerging jobs 
• Recognize the impact of working conditions in emerging areas of employment 
• Identify supports, programs, and policies that could address these challenges

References:

Carliner, S., Driscoll, M. & Thayer, Y. (2021.) Career Anxiety: Guidance Through Tough Times. Westwood, MA: International Career Press.