g-f(2)6 The need for the United States for embracing a culture of continuous and life-long learning

Extra-condensed knowledge

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will require us to re-learn the best practices for learning. Businesses built for longevity are those that cultivate a culture of continuous learning.

For the American workforce to thrive throughout the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there are three key things that need to happen:

1. America will need to invest in new avenues of education and adopt a commitment to approaching education flexibly; 
2. Executives will need to be better about “walking the walk” when it comes to reskilling existing employees whose current roles are destined to change;
3. As a country, we need to better invest in our educational system while simultaneously embracing a culture of continuous and life-long learning. 

Genioux knowledge fact condensed as an image.

Condensed knowledge 

• Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order for the “American AI Initiative,” to guide AI developments and investments in the following areas: research and development, ethical standards, automation, and international outreach. This initiative is indicative of the changing times, and how, as a country, the U.S. is learning to navigate the implications of AI. 
• Leaders in the business world, specifically, are faced with the responsibility of equipping our employees with the skills necessary for paving long-lasting career paths, and the workforce must discover what will be expected as technology continues to disrupt the norm, and work as we know it.
• I support the growing movement to build a nationwide, future-oriented workforce founded on sustainable careers — but for this goal to be achieved, there is more work that needs to be done.
• We can no longer approach education with a one-size-fits-all model. As CEOs, we, too, need to reinforce a refreshed approach to education, including making vocational training opportunities available within our own companies.
• In March, the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board met at the White House to determine how to “develop and implement a strategy to revamp the American workforce to better meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
• Executives need to become reskilling educators. Changing the face of education will certainly empower entry-level employees for the flexible roles of the future, but what does “revamping” the American workforce mean for those who have been hard at work for years? In addition to extending opportunities for technical training to those entering the workforce, the C-suite leaders of today need to commit to opportunities for displaced workers as a first choice for strengthening our companies.
• Corporate executives equally need to share the responsibility in assisting workers in adopting new skillsets that will allow for greater employee retention in the long-run.
• A call for curiosity: company- and country-wide. As automation inevitably eliminates human hands in manual and monotonous business processes, it’s my belief that the role of employees will be defined by an evolved skillset and an open mindset.
• German society celebrates “life-long learning” — what I call continuous curiosity. Education doesn’t stop at a degree; businesses built for longevity are those that cultivate a culture of continuous learning.
• American workers, don’t wait for leaders to help you learn what’s to come — there are plenty of ways to teach yourself about the technologies that will continue to define the future of work. Staying curious will help you stay ahead of the learning curve and allow you to have access to new opportunities in the evolving business world. Prioritizing your own continuous re-education not only gives you an edge in the world of today but assures your relevance in the world of tomorrow.

Category 2: The Big Picture of the Digital Age

[genioux fact extracted from HBR]

Authors of the genioux fact

Fernando Machuca

References

To Prepare for Automation, Stay Curious and Don’t Stop Learning, Tiger Tyagarajan, October 08, 2019, HBR, Harvard Business Review.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Tiger Tyagarajan is the CEO of Genpact, a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation. He frequently writes and speaks about education, global talent issues, continuous skill development, digital disruption, and the importance of building a strong corporate culture.

Tiger Tyagarajan is one of the industry leaders who pioneered a new global business model and transformed a division of General Electric (GE Capital International Services) into Genpact, a global professional services firm delivering digital transformation solutions for clients. Genpact has more than 90,000 employees and annual revenues of $3.52 billion USD as of December 31, 2019. Tiger was appointed as Genpact’s Chief Executive Officer in 2011 after serving as Chief Operating Officer.