Education and Employment Should Be One System, Not Two

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Education and Employment Should Be One System, Not Two
Doug Irving, RAND, 2020/01/08
According to this RAND report (56 page PDF), a systems approach should be undertaken to mesh education and employment such that individuals can "acquire skills that are in demand in the labor market" and "ensuring timely and appropriate matching and rematching of skilled workers with jobs." It's an oft-expressed view that I think misses the mark in a crucial respect: an individual's educational experience serves aspirational objectives (which may or may not include getting a job) while a person's employment experience serves existential objectives, recognizing today's economic reality that if you don't work, you don't eat. More...