How learning could change your future

The impact of learning is profound. It validates, questions, provokes and connects. It provides context, confidence, capability and opportunity.

So why do so few adults over the age of 30 commit to learning?

The New Zealand way, where we continue to leverage what we learnt early in our lives, is increasingly out of sync with the rest of the world where adults are taking to learning at record rates. Is it our distance from global markets where technology, data, automation and digitalisation are recreating the future of work, or is our temperate climate shielding us from the realities of needing to understand climate change and sustainability, clouding the importance of getting back behind the learning seat and delve into new knowledge?

As a nation of self-employed business owners, and government employees are we too insulated from the levers of rapid disruption, the open market and global competition preventing us from seeing what is directly ahead? Is our slow responsiveness to change and progress or our lack of willingness to mitigate and respond to emerging challenges holding us back from the future we all hope and dream for?

If we were to become a learning nation, a nation where education was for all, and for life we could develop new economic strength, leveraging knowledge and innovation as core capabilities.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that nothing can be taken for granted. While we imagine life in a future setting, we watch as the world develops new ways to tackle climate change, carbon reduction, food and water production and security, education, privacy, cybersecurity, health and finance. New economic models are being developed as old economic models strain under pressure. Drought, flooding, pandemics and the global demand for talent are daily headlines. The ability to lead from the front with solutions developed through science, innovation, discovery, collaborations and partnerships is the future.

New technologies are not limited to the tech team, the CTO or your kids. Knowledge of Web3, blockchain, and distributed self-organising systems are not niche, but mainstream functions of organisations across the world.?

Yes, we have the luxury of political stability and the benefits of the unfair advantages that come with open space, rich soils, a temperate climate and communities that genuinely want the best for each other.

But without knowledge, adaptation, research, development and learning, we will increasingly rely on others to bring their advances to us. Our reliance on others will increase and our ability to attract investment and talent who will help get our economy moving ahead will be limited.

If you are a leader it is time to lead by example by getting back into learning and supporting your staff to do the same. Education and knowledge have become increasingly democratised and access to learning can be done online, in person, hybrid or blended.?

We need as many capable, connected and curious people as we can muster to help lead our country forward.

The Mind Lab academyEX