We are all aware that thanks to technology the world is changing at a great speed. The automation and digitization of all kinds of services is something that is felt everywhere regardless of the sector, company or country that we observe. Obviously, the progress of what is called the fourth industrial revolution differs from one country to another and its intensity also varies from one industry to another, but the transformative process of these new technologies is already present throughout the globe and in all productive sectors.
In this increasingly digitized and competitive environment in which we operate, continuous learning will be the key vector that prevents us from becoming obsolete overnight. This continuous learning will be crucial not only for workers but also for companies and the public sector, since these, sooner or later, will need to have workers trained with these new skills.
So far, almost everyone agrees that this continuous learning throughout our professional lives is an element that we must have very internalized. We will never finish training throughout our lives and this includes the ability to unlearn those skills and knowledge that new technologies have or will make useless or even be contrary to the new labor standards. We must all be participants in this need because if we don’t do it, others will. Individuals, companies and public authorities must be active participants in this new training model. The question then is how to carry it out?
Follow us on Google News to keep you always informed
A simple answer to this question is to learn from all those societies that have done well and the best example of all this is South Korea. This country located in the southern part of the Korean peninsula has become an economic power of reference worldwide and has done so thanks to its human capital and the impulse fostered by new technologies. Its unemployment rate is very small and this happens in an economy that has the most robots in proportion to its number of workers in the world. It is also very remarkable that 100% of its internet connections are at high speed and that 5G technology works at full capacity. However, things do not stop here, as Korea is already experimenting with 6G, whose speed will be 50 times faster than 5G, with the commercial launch of this new technology being its goal in less than seven years.
Korea is not a very large country, it has about 100,000 km2 or what is the same, its surface represents 5% of that of Mexico. The country, in addition to being very small, lacks important natural resources, with a large part of its territory mountainous, which prevents many areas of the country from being arable. In addition, it is made up of some 3,000 islands, the vast majority of which are very small and uninhabited. All this makes its population of about 50 million inhabitants live concentrated in a few large cities. With all these physical conditions, the country’s commitment to achieve high levels of development could only be one, training with high standards of its population.
In all the PISA reports of recent years it can be observed how South Korean students exceed the average of students from other countries with similar levels of development in practically all indicators and that their educational system is considered one of the best and most complete of the world.
Follow the information about business and current affairs in Forbes Mexico
In the design of Korean educational policy, it was defined that every five years the school curriculum must be modified to adapt it to the country’s labor and industry needs. What changes is the curriculum and not the law and it is that in Korea it is very clear that educational policies are structural policies that must always be focused on the long term. The interesting thing about the Korean educational model is not that its students leave highly qualified to face their first jobs, but that, being aware of the transformative effect of new technologies, they approved in 2009 a permanent education law.
This law defined the responsibilities of the various Korean governments regarding the promotion of lifelong education as stipulated in the General Education Law. Along with this, the public sector facilitates and encourages the different organizations in the country to offer employees training courses throughout their working lives.
Prior to the approval of this law, South Korea already approved the creation of an employment insurance fund to which both workers and companies contribute. The purpose of this fund is, among other things, to invest in improving the skills of workers through programs offered by registered institutions. Part of the money raised goes to create a Tomorrow Learning Card, which is an individual card or voucher. All employees covered by employment insurance, as well as workers whose contracts are about to expire or are temporary employees or simply unemployed can apply for this card and select the training program they want. The card covers 100% of the cost of online education programs and 50% of language courses abroad.
Subscribe to Forbes Mexico
Contact:
Linked In: Máximo Santos Miranda Ph.D.
The opinions expressed are solely the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and editorial line of Forbes Mexico.