2025: Nurturing Human Skills Through Adult Education in the Age of AI

Description

Adult learning and training have been undergoing a profound transformation. Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and EdTech are reshaping how we acquire skills and knowledge, making learning far more personalised and accessible than before. The quick response is that we need to embrace more technology to keep up with this breakneck pace of change. That, of course, is inevitable. But as technology adoption generates increasing anxiety and uncertainty worldwide despite reaping apparent benefits, we need to stop and take stock.

Technology as a tool, not the whole picture

Technology is a tool, even if it is a powerful one. Machines excel at processing data, automating routine tasks, and offering predictive insights. Agentic AI will become more common and take over more complex workflows. However, at the same time, we are also seeing what makes humans irreplaceable — the ability to build relationships, improvise, understand ambiguity, build trust, and inspire. Focusing on what makes us human and strengthening these aspects is as important as, if not more than, embracing technology.

The rising demand for uniquely human skills

In the rapidly changing world of work, emerging trends underscore the growing value of human skills.

Soft skills are now increasingly critical

Technical skills fall into the domain of what machines and robotics can deliver. What they cannot do is to replicate the human touch. Our work is about humans, with humans, and for humans. Soft skills will be a key differentiator among workers. Employers will look out for a slew of soft skills— teambuilding abilities, emotional intelligence, improvisation and problem-solving skills, and communication skills— when hiring and promoting.

Communicators are the new leaders

Excellent interpersonal skills will be valued, cross-cultural communication skills, and competency in natural language even more so. Enterprises will continue to need great communicators who can translate the value of products and services to target markets, manage complex projects with teams that are increasingly diverse, and help teams navigate disagreement and find solutions. Additionally, with large language models powering generative AI, natural language is also emerging as a powerful way to interact with and command machines. Communication skills, hence, will determine ones competency in working with AI — a new must-have skill to advance ones career.

Ethical thinking in the age of AI

Machines can follow instructions and perform tasks, but they cannot grapple with the ethical dimensions of their actions. For AI to work for the good of humans, we need humans to develop and input ethical frameworks to ensure that AI tools do not unintentionally cause harm or perpetuate dangerous biases. Increasing societal and governmental pressure will lead to businesses making the development of ethical AI a priority. Major technology companies such as Google, IBM, and Facebook have already developed and appointed dedicated AI governance teams. The ability to develop ethical AI and enforce the necessary frameworks is fundamental to engendering trust in AI tools.

Training and Adult Education Professionals as Pathfinders

Ambiguity and uncertainty define our current era, and Training and Adult Education (TAE) professionals, as pathfinders, are uniquely placed to foster human-centric learning.

Address the human aspects of change and disruption

Change is disruptive and resistance is only natural. TAE professionals play an important role in mitigating the human response to change — by equipping enterprises with the right skills and mindsets to manage change, retraining employees for redesigned scopes and bolstering their ability to adapt and helping employers and employees to transit positively to a different way of working.

Embed opportunities to build human skills

Soft skills development does not have to take place only in standalone courses. Opportunities can be integrated into any training programme for soft skills to be fostered and practised, such as through collaborative projects, role-playing, group work, and presentations. Encourage reflective learning so that learners can internalise their learning and relate it to real-world applications.

Encourage critical and ethical thinking

The proliferation of technology presents a new frontier where enterprises and employees need to continually review. For instance, Google’s algorithm once predominantly showed prestigious job ads to men, thereby perpetuating gender bias and inadvertently suggesting that high-flying jobs were primarily suited for men. Faced with such contention, we need to ask, “Is this the right way forward?”, “Is the technology doing harm, even if unintentionally?”

Adult educators will need to prompt learners to question assumptions, analyse complex situations, and understand perspectives of different stakeholders. Case studies, debates, feedback sessions go a long way in facilitating critical thinking.

A new era of learning

At its core, adult learning is a deeply human experience that goes beyond acquiring technical skills. It involves challenging and shifting mindsets, nurturing competencies essential to the workplace, and helping the learner understand how to apply newfound skills in complex work situations. By focusing on the human-centric nature of learning and work, TAE professionals can create programmes that truly make a difference.

As the concept of a single career path fades, continuous learning and adaption have become the norm. The types of technical skills in demand will evolve constantly, but the human traits that will see us through such recurring changes—resilience, improvisation, critical thinking, problem solving—are timeless.