Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Lifelong learning" has been heralded as a crucial element in the modern workforce, especially as technology and globalization continue to reshape the landscape of work.It is often presented as a universal solution to maintaining employability and work ability, encouraging individuals to continually upskill and reskill throughout their careers (Crick et al., 2013).However, this wellintentioned push for continuous organization-and person-centered learning-which is also articulated in the focal article (Beier et al., 2025)-may have unintended consequences, particularly for older workers.Although the rhetoric of lifelong learning suggests inclusivity and empowerment of all age groups, it can mask underlying ageist assumptions that may marginalize older workers.Importantly, we acknowledge that many older employees may possess high intrinsic motivation to learn and hold a protean career orientation, which highlights their adaptability and potential commitment to continuous development (cf.Van Vianen et al., 2011).In this commentary, however, we focus on the more general trends and challenges faced by older employees subject to the lifelong learning rhetoric.In doing so, we argue that the current demands for lifelong learning may inadvertently reinforce ageism in the workplace, creating barriers for older workers and contributing to their exclusion from the labor market and work-related opportunities, such as training and promotion.Ageism in lifelong learning: The overlooked challenge of older workers Ageism, defined as prejudice or discrimination against individuals based on their age, is a pervasive issue in many societies and workplaces (Shore & Goldberg, 2013).Whereas efforts to address biases related to race, gender, and other social categories are gaining traction, ageism remains an underaddressed issue in diversity and inclusion initiatives.The discourse around lifelong learning is no exception.The assumption underlying much of the lifelong learning rhetoric is that all workers, regardless of age, can and should continuously adapt to new technologies and job requirements.However, lifelong learning implicitly places greater emphasis on older workers, who are expected to maintain and update their skills despite having adapted to workplace changes for much longer than younger employees.This cumulative pressure can disproportionately affect older employees, who face the dual challenge of keeping up with new demands while also dealing with unique challenges older employees face as they age-challenges This article has been updated since its original publication.
DOI: 10.1017/iop.2024.63
Authors: Yannick Griep, Wieke M. Knol, Hannes Zacher
Institutions: North-West University, Utrecht University, Leipzig University
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W4408170429