Press Release
Global learning technology leader D2L has released its latest in a series of white papers on the future of work, “Maximizing Resilience: Accelerating the Shift to a Learning-Integrated Life.” The series focuses on practical policy decisions that D2L considers essential to deliver on its core mission to transform the way the world learns. D2L’s work addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided invaluable insight into the trends that were already shaping the future of learning. In a recent survey of more than 1,000 people, conducted by D2L, survey respondents indicated that lifelong learning is necessary and beneficial. At the same time, challenges remain in providing broad accessibility to ensure the benefits are equitable. There is also a clear appetite for more flexibility in skills-building opportunities available to working learners, in particular. Micro-credentialing is just one of the innovative tools that could be maximized to better support working learners and enable the shift to a learning-integrated life. Lifelong learning and the reskilling and upskilling that it enables is critical to close the skills gap in the post-COVID-19 recovery and to ensure inclusive growth moving forward. In response to these findings, D2L is recommending that policymakers consider the following four ideas, as discussed in detail in the white paper:- Investing in educators’ ongoing learning to ensure they have the skills to thrive with digital learning tools.
- Supporting postsecondary education to accelerate the delivery of innovative, flexible program offerings through partnership with other institutions.
- Providing financial support to learners at every stage of their lives.
- Doing more to support meeting the needs of the labor market through better information and common language around skills.