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How Can Higher Ed Prepare for the Silver Tsunami?
May 11, 2021
What is the Silver Tsunami? – It is a term that describes the mass exodus of baby boomers from the labor pool. Every day, upwards of 10,000 baby boomers reach retirement age – and by 2030, the entirety of the baby boomer generation will have reached this milestone by turning 65 years old and proceed to exit the workforce. The main implication of the Silver Tsunami is that, within the next nine years, there will be a vacuum of skills and open positions in the American workforce [1]. America's workforce will rely heavily on higher education to provide skilled workers to fill these positions. The higher education sector needs to prepare now to meet the growing educational needs of the industry.
As the older generation of workers phases out of the workforce, new-age technology makes its way into businesses. Companies pursuing an industry 4.0 business model and automating machines and processes see more high-skill positions created and low-skill positions eliminated. This shift in advanced skills needed by the workforce poses a threat to transformation timelines because the skilled labor demands to accomplish these goals require more people with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educational backgrounds than are currently being taught [2].
Higher education institutions must work with top industries to identify the necessary skills for the future of work and provide courses to educate students currently in school and alumni and other professionals who return to school to upskill. The rapidly advancing nature of technology requires higher education institutions to adapt curriculum fast while still providing the same high level of educational value.
The Silver Tsunami is going to create vacancies in more advanced positions in the workforce. To fill these gaps, workers who want to advance must be upskilled or reskilled to meet the needs of these positions and their new responsibilities in a technologically advancing company. New graduates must also have the right skills to qualify for entry-level positions becoming available as the current workforce moves up.
To meet these needs, higher education institutions must create a more deliberate focus on STEM subjects and attract students to these lucrative and in-demand fields. Schools can do this starting by offering STEM-focused summer camps to high school students. This is an excellent way for schools to encourage interest in STEM fields at a young age, add a revenue stream to their portfolio, and actively improve the outcomes for their students in the future. Wayne State University and Amesite have partnered to do precisely that.
Other ways for schools to prepare for the Silver Tsunami are providing accessible online courses on in-demand topics in emerging technologies like AI, automation, and data analytics. These courses can be offered as traditional online learning courses or adapted to micro-courses which award a certificate after completion. Both formats will help battle the Silver Tsunami. Undergraduate students will have the ability to learn topics that will be in demand and help them get a job after graduation. And adults already in the workforce will have the opportunity to upskill and advance in their careers, avoiding unemployment if their positions are threatened by automation.
How Can Your University Easily Launch an Online Learning Platform to Prepare for the Silver Tsunami?
Higher education can prepare for the Silver Tsunami and meet the needs for emerging technology education by establishing a robust online learning platform with courses that use AI to stay up to date and relevant to their students. They can do this easily without investing in IT or development staff by partnering with an online learning platform and content creation company. Choosing the right partner is vital to achieving their goals.
When deciding which company to partner with, it is important that their online learning platform has these key features to serve your university best:
Easily scalable
Turnkey customized platform and programs that require no training to start
Efficiency in all systems using AI and advanced technology
An intuitive design that increases engagement, attracts learners, and builds community
Flexible and capable of supporting many online revenue streams
A value proposition that sets you apart from your competitors
Amesite Offers a Single, Easy to Use, Scalable Solution
Launch a system that helps your university attract adults looking to upskill, increase enrollment, and increase revenue.
Amesite is a high-tech AI-enabled online learning platform that creates scalable, custom-branded learning environments and content curated by experts in the industry that follow best practices, meeting your university's unique needs. A host of self-paced, highly engaging, and intuitive programs and courses can be ready in as little as 30 days.
Amesite can provide your university with numerous revenue streams that can support the influx of learners resulting from the Silver Tsunami. We can do this by providing turnkey, intuitive micro-credentials, summer camps, and alumni upskilling programs, as well as traditional online course curriculum. All of which require no training and allow your university to take advantage of the immediate needs that these programs satisfy. Investing in new initiatives has never been easier. Amesite is a budget-conscious choice because the is no investment in IT staff or training required to use the platform. After 30 days, your university is delivered a fully managed platform that meets your exact needs and avoids all the headache of having to create and coordinate in-house.
Amesite's system uses established social media formats to help learners access the content in a familiar setting. These mechanisms streamline the learning process. Amesite's platform also gives users the experience of learning in a community, a valuable addition to the online education experience. Connecting virtually to their instructor and other students enhances the experience — and solidifies learning. Amesite has an outstanding and industry-leading 98% retention rate.
Partner with Amesite to prepare for the Silver Tsunami. Request a Demo!
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