Lifelong Learning vs. Front-loading Education:
The relationship between education and employment is changing.

Front-loading Learning: In the past American workers completed the majority of their education and training at the beginning of their career and this was sufficient currency in the job market for the rest of their career.

Lifelong Learning: In a labor market in which jobs are changing quickly and many people are highly educated, workers will need to approach education and professional training as a career-long task, in order to remain competitive and up-to-date in the labor market.

Upskilling and Re-skilling:

This refers to the need for workers in the modern economy to develop new skills throughout their career as opposed to only in the beginning, as has been the norm in the past. Upskilling is a way to update your skills and credentials so that you remain viable in a competitive labor world in which the rapid development of technology is causing many skills to become obsolete in short periods of time. Opportunities for upskilling may be offered to you by your employer.

∗ An example of upskilling can be found in the education world, in which public school teachers are often given the option to pursue additional certificates or even masters degrees in education which are subsidized by the school or county, in order to ensure that teachers have up-to-date methods and skills. As they have more certificates and credentials, they are also compensated with a higher salary.

In the modern American workforce you should plan on upskilling throughout your career.

Knowledge Workers: A knowledge worker is someone whose primary capital in the labor market is what they know. This means that they have sophisticated expertise in a critical field, such as engineering, architecture, medicine, law, education, research, and more. Knowledge workers' most essential skills are critical and creative thinking. These workers are among the most educated and highest paid in the workforce.