As outlined in this Society of Human Resources Management piece on “Challenges to Upskilling,” many of these initiatives don’t work because workers don’t have the time or motivation, and many HR departments see this as just a task to be done. There’s not an organizational passion guiding this effort. 

Rather than poorly forecasting what jobs will be most in demand in 2030 and training, en masse, everyone in those skills, maybe we should allocate some of the trillions of dollars spent on reskilling/upskilling on “in-skilling”— a term I just coined (patent pending) that focuses on aligning skills development with individual passions. Unlike reskilling, which is driven by macroeconomic trends, in-skilling is about nurturing what excites and energizes people, tapping into their inherent interests and passions.

Ultimately, we need a massive effort in mindset training, especially with an aging workforce living longer. How do we help those in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset such that they’re not trying just to prove themselves, but they’re joyous in improving themselves and open to becoming a beginner over and over again? How do we help the well-worn litigation attorney become the joyful pastry chef?

Remember the old saying, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.' This is true for humans, too. Let’s rethink our approach to career transitions, empowering midlifers to follow paths aligned with their passions, not just the job market predictions of the World Economic Forum.

-Chip