OSPE - The Voice - Fall 2020 - 24

ENGINEERING ACADEMY

Prospering Through
Lifelong Learning

merging trends are changing Canada's labour market,
aided by technological innovation and their farreaching consequences across sectors. For example,
advances in mobile technology have led to an
increase in app innovation, leading to higher use and
adaptation. In recent years, we've seen Canada's banks embracing
new app technology to bring Canadians banking options to their
phones, and this kind of automation has forever changed the way
we approach personal banking. In turn, this alters the bank's
approach to hiring, as priorities and commitments shift to take
advantage of the apps, which can have wide reaching consequences
on hiring practices, as development moves off-shore, and brick and
mortar locations close.
Without a commitment to lifelong learning, what happens to
the employees left behind by these changes? The expectation that
a solid foundation of skills can carry you throughout your entire
career is no longer applicable - changes to technology are too rapid,
widespread adaptation too quick for there to be any reliance in
traditional models of learning. We know that employees are ready
for this change. According to a 2020 Employment and Skills survey
organized by the Future Skills Centre, Canadians recognize and
understand the impact new technologies will have on employable
skills, and those who trained in new technologies report high levels
of satisfaction with their education.
The increase of globalization and digitalization go hand-in-hand,
and as previously independent sectors find themselves intertwined
due to technological changes, shifts to standard modes of learning
and education change. Combined with the unprecedented
aftershocks of COVID-19, it becomes clear that a laissez-faire
approach to learning is no longer sufficient. Employees must take a
pro-active approach to learning, not only to increase their technical
know-how, but to adapt to all the other considerations brought on
by the changing principals of globalization. However, according
to the Employment and Skills survey, "over the past five years, no
more than half of the labour force has had any employer-delivered
skills training." Especially important are vulnerable groups, as the
survey reports, older employees, low-income employees, and nonunionized workers are less likely to have had access to additional
education.

THE VOICE Fall 2020

These changes stress one thing: the need for lifelong learning is
more important than ever. Not only to keep up with technological
changes, but shifting demographics, priorities, and policies,
mean that "soft-skills" such as communication, leadership, and
developing multidisciplinary tools are of utmost importance; and
many groups do not have access. Beyond this, by having access
to lifelong learning, individuals can take ownership of their own
career paths and protect themselves from the whims of industry.
The threat of automation may be mitigated if an individual is
committed to keeping pace with changes in their industries and
able to pivot their skills due to lifelong learning.
OSPE's Ontario Engineering Academy (OEA) is geared
towards this kind of thinking. The OEA stresses critical thinking
as a valuable tool that allows for flexibility, knowledge, and
empowerment; key drivers that create stability and support for a
healthy career. The key market trends of the future-changes to the
energy sector, infrastructure, demographics, and technology-are
united in their extreme pace of change. Combined, these markets
employ a high number of Canadians vulnerable to rapid change. By
focusing on essential, flexible, multidisciplinary training, the OEA
trains students to be capable of handling our fluctuating future.
Lifelong learning is the best way for an individual to future proof
themselves. Forecasts are only so accurate-they cannot guarantee
any prediction. As concepts like robotics, automation and AI move
from the realm of Science-Fiction to real life, these technologies
change the workforce and the skills needed.
A road of lifelong learning allows the student to take ownership
of their career. The reliability and flexibility they create in
themselves means that they are able to protect themselves from
what may come. There will be another recession, pandemic, or lifealtering event in all our futures. We don't know the exact details of
how it will come, but we must try now to prepare ourselves for it.

OSPE - The Voice - Fall 2020

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