The Compelling Need for Talent Acceleration

 

By William J. Rothwell, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Penn State University

(ACEHOF 2023)

 

The need for accelerated talent development is no longer optional. It is imperative. The convergence of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), demographic shifts such as the mass retirement of Baby Boomers, policy changes affecting skilled immigration, and the reindustrialization of economies like the United States has exposed a widening gap between current workforce capabilities and future business demands. To compete and thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution—also known as Industry 4.0—organizations, educational institutions, and governments must urgently embrace faster, more responsive approaches to upskilling, reskilling, new skilling, and cross-skilling the workforce (World Economic Forum, 2018).

 

One significant force driving the need for accelerated talent development is the integration of AI into every aspect of business (Marguerit, 2025). As machines become more capable of performing routine cognitive and manual tasks, the demand for human workers who can interpret data, make decisions, and apply judgment in new contexts is soaring. Traditional educational models—centered around four-year degrees—are simply too slow to respond to evolving and dynamic workforce demands (Kovalev et al., 2025). By the time a student completes a degree, the skills they’ve learned may already be outdated. Organizations need people who are agile, adaptive, and equipped with skills that can be rapidly refreshed or reconfigured to meet emerging needs.

 

At the same time, the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation is triggering a massive brain drain across industries (Chaudhuri & Ghosh, 2012). These experienced professionals, many of whom hold institutional knowledge and leadership capabilities, are exiting the workforce in large numbers. Their departure leaves critical gaps that cannot be filled through conventional hiring and development cycles. To sustain operational continuity and competitiveness, companies must fast-track the development of younger and mid-career employees who can step into leadership roles and technical positions—often with limited time for traditional onboarding or formal education.

 

The situation is compounded by recent federal policy shifts that have led to a decline in skilled immigration to the United States (Mandelman, 2024). Slowdown in immigration, labor shortages, and declining skill premia. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Working Paper. For decades, the U.S. economy has benefited from the influx of talented professionals from around the world, particularly in STEM fields. With fewer skilled immigrants available, the pressure is mounting to develop talent domestically—faster and more efficiently than ever before.

 

In parallel, the U.S. is undergoing a reindustrialization as manufacturing returns to domestic soil. This “reshoring” of industry is driven by a desire to strengthen supply chains, secure national interests, and support economic recovery. However, the factories of today are not the same as those of previous generations. Smart manufacturing facilities rely on robotics, machine learning, and cyber-physical systems. These new technologies require workers with hybrid skill sets—combining technical know-how with problem-solving, critical thinking, and digital fluency—and the learning agility to learn faster and more effectively than ever before. Meeting these complex and changing talent demands calls for a more dynamic, flexible approach to workforce development.

 

Globally, similar pressures are driving the need for talent acceleration in Asia-Pacific economies. In a recent invited keynote address delivered to ASEAN and APEC nations, I emphasized how the migration of Chinese industry to Southeast Asia is transforming the region’s labor markets. Countries must rapidly prepare their low-tech workforces for high-tech, high-value work or risk losing out. Like in the U.S., the answer lies not in traditional degree programs, but in stackable credentials, certifications, microlearning, and experiential learning—methods that provide targeted, just-in-time learning experiences aligned to workforce needs.

 

Higher education everywhere in the world must respond to this shift. Universities and colleges must expand their focus beyond conventional degree paths and embrace alternative learning formats that prioritize speed, relevance, and adaptability. That includes offering short-term, modular programs that can be combined into broader qualifications; partnering with employers to co-develop learning pathways; encouraging experiential learning methods that appeal to a new generation of learners who grew up with exciting videogame entertainment and expect the same level of engagement in their education; and investing in digital platforms that make lifelong learning more accessible.

 

The future of work will belong to those who can learn quickly, pivot often, and deliver results in an environment of constant change. The average person in the future is expected to have 3-7 career changes in their lifetime. For younger generations, like Gen Z, this number is projected to be even higher, with estimates ranging from 5-7 careers, including potentially 16-17 jobs (Jobera, 2023). This shift is driven by factors like the evolving job market, technological advancements, and changing economic conditions. Talent acceleration is not just a strategy; rather, it is an essential lifeline that will determine whether organizations and nations can adapt, compete, and lead in the age of AI.

 

References

Chaudhuri, S., & Ghosh, R. (2012). Reverse mentoring: A social exchange tool for keeping the Boomers engaged and Millennials committed. Human Resource Development Review, 11(1), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484311417562

Jobera. (2023, October 11). 59+ latest career change statistics, facts & trends. Jobera.

Kovalev, A., Stefanac, N., & Rizoiu, M.-A. (2025). Skill‑driven certification pathways: Measuring industry training impact on graduate employability [Preprint]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.04588

Mandelman, F. S. (2024). Slowdown in immigration, labor shortages, and declining skill premia. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Working Paper.

Marguerit, D. (2025, March 24). Augmenting or automating labor? The effect of AI development on new work, employment, and wages [Preprint]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19159

World Economic Forum. (2018). Towards a reskilling revolution: A future of jobs for all. See: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/of-interest/towards-reskilling-revolution-future-jobs-all/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22337449436&gbraid=0AAAAA-vx0GEb8KVy55MqeMLwEWUL31JRL&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzOvEBhDVARIsADHfJJSDUYDLc-98fcWeXcjhZvHLcHTvwZd12gXkKa-rSx3TDWXVrzKqRDIaAhftEALw_wcB

 

Adult Learning for Integration – Reimagining Migrant Education Across Borders

 

 

Migration is one of the defining forces of the 21st century, reshaping societies, economies, and individual identities. Recognizing the transformative power of migration and its challenges, Working Group 3 (WG3), Adult Learning and Education (ALE) in Immigrant Settlement and Integration, at the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference, explored how ALE can support inclusive, sustainable integration for migrants around the globe.

 

Co-chaired by Dr. Thomas Sork (IACEHOF 2008) of the University of British Columbia and Dr. Alexandra Ioannidou of the German Institute for Adult Education, with assistance from Working Group Mentor Simona Sava (IACEHOF 2017) of the West University of Timişoara, the group brought together participants from Canada, Germany, Italy, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, and the United States. The session affirmed the crucial role of ALE in navigating the societal transformations that migration brings.

 

A Global Megatrend with Local Impact

Migration is a demographic phenomenon and a social megatrend that touches every aspect of life. From labor markets and public services to community cohesion and identity, successful integration requires a coordinated and empathetic response. Adult education is uniquely positioned to support this process by equipping migrants and host communities with the tools for mutual understanding, resilience, and development.

 

Key Research Themes Explored

The group mapped a rich set of research areas that could inform future policy and practice. These included:

• Conceptualizing Migration and Integration: Deepening the understanding of what integration means and how it varies across contexts—socially, economically, and politically.
• Integration Outcomes: Examining how adult learning influences outcomes such as employment, language proficiency, social inclusion, and civic engagement.
• Framing the Public Discourse: Analyzing how media and political narratives shape attitudes toward migration and how adult education can help counter polarizing rhetoric.
• Migration Pedagogies and Teaching Practices: Identifying and sharing best practices in designing culturally responsive, trauma-informed, learner-centered approaches.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Advocating for systems that validate migrants’ existing skills and qualifications, thereby accelerating their inclusion.
• Cultural Heritage and Identity: Exploring how migrants’ identities evolve and how ALE can support the negotiation between heritage and adaptation.

 

Strategic Recommendations and Collaborative Pathways

Participants identified a wide range of collaborative initiatives to advance knowledge and practice in migrant education:

• Special Journal Issues: Publishing focused collections on integration, pedagogy, and migrant identity.
• International Dialogue Networks: Establishing platforms for cross-border conversations involving researchers, educators, and policymakers.
• Webinar Series: Launching a thematic series, beginning with a University of Glasgow session on racism and xenophobia, distributed via YouTube or with support from UIL.
• Creative Resource Sharing: Creating a research repository (e.g., Google Drive) with tools, concept papers, and models for replication.
• Toolkits for Local Action: Developing a digital “integration and safety box” to help communities welcome migrants with evidence-based strategies.
• Leveraging Research Networks: Working closely with organizations such as ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) for deeper engagement and dissemination.
• Funding and Research Development: Exploring opportunities through Erasmus Mundus, Horizon Europe, and similar frameworks for multi-country comparative research.

 

Empowering Adult Educators and Institutions

A recurring emphasis was placed on training adult educators, civil society leaders, and public officials to facilitate integration effectively. Education is not only for migrants—it must also equip host communities to respond with empathy and readiness. Topics such as intercultural competency, trauma sensitivity, and cross-sector collaboration were seen as foundational for inclusive learning environments.

 

Enablers for Cooperation

For these initiatives to succeed, the group stressed the importance of:

• Democratic Leadership and shared decision-making processes.
• Equity and Participation, ensuring all voices are heard, including migrants themselves.
• Sustainable Funding to allow for the continuity and scaling of promising practices.
• Recognition and Reward Structures, to incentivize contributions from researchers and practitioners.
• Dissemination Platforms, including mailing lists, institutional visits, and professional exchanges.

 

ALE as a Bridge to Belonging

The WG3 discussions made one thing clear: integration is not a linear journey, but a dynamic process of negotiation, adaptation, and mutual growth. Adult education plays a vital role in this process, offering migrants and host societies the tools to thrive together. By fostering research, sharing innovations, and centering equity, ALE can turn the challenge of migration into an opportunity for collective transformation.

 

Learning Behind Bars – Education and Collective Action Against Organized Crime

 

 

In the shadows of organized crime, where social systems are often weakened and individuals marginalized, education can serve as a powerful tool of resistance, resilience, and rehabilitation. The Working Group 9 (WG9) on Education and Social Action to Implement Forms of Bottom-up Counter Actions Against Organised Crime, mentored by Timothy D. Ireland (IACEHOF 2024), convened at the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence to explore the critical intersections between adult education, social justice, and criminal justice reform.

 

Participants from Italy, Greece, South Africa, the United States, Brazil, and the Nordic countries contributed diverse insights. The group focused on two central areas:

1.    Educational responses to organized crime

2.    The transformative potential of education within the prison system

 

Session One: Learning as Resistance – Confronting Organized Crime Through Education

In the first session, participants exchanged experiences and strategies on how education can disrupt the influence of organized crime, especially in communities where it has deeply entrenched roots. Italy's long-standing battle with mafia structures provided a particularly vivid context, demonstrating the risks and the power of civic education to raise awareness and mobilize communities.

Key topics included:

• The role of education in promoting civic consciousness and ethical leadership.
• Community-based learning initiatives that challenge the normalization of criminal networks.
• Equipping vulnerable populations with critical thinking and media literacy to resist propaganda and coercion.

Education in this sense is not neutral—it is a form of action, offering individuals and communities the means to analyze, question, and reclaim agency.

 

Session Two: Rethinking the Prison as a Learning Space

The second session focused on formal and non-formal educational practices in correctional settings. Participants discussed how prisons, often isolated from the broader education system, can become sites of learning, dignity, and transformation.

Central themes included:

• Learning Needs of Incarcerated Individuals:
• Differences in educational needs across gender, age, and socio-economic background.
• Tailoring programs to meet the practical and psychological realities of confinement.
• Education for Survival and Reintegration:
• Beyond traditional literacy and vocational training, incarcerated learners require life skills, emotional literacy, and digital access to navigate life during and after imprisonment.
• Training for Prison Staff and Educators:
• Equipping correctional officers, counselors, and educators with the tools to support learning environments grounded in respect and rehabilitation.
• The Role of Technology:
• Exploring how Information Technology (IT) and virtual learning environments can expand access while navigating institutional constraints and security concerns.

 

Collective Action and Future Collaboration

The working group did not stop at analysis—it laid the groundwork for practical collaboration across regions and disciplines. Participants discussed the need for:

• A Knowledge Repository: A shared Google Drive was proposed to house articles, program examples, evaluation tools, and concept notes related to prison and anti-crime education.
• Webinars and Cross-National Learning Events: The group will host virtual events to continue knowledge exchange and build global solidarity.
• Ethnographic Research in Prisons: Encouraging small, collaborative research teams to investigate lived experiences in carceral spaces and the effects of different educational approaches.
• Joint Training Curricula: Developing content for training prison educators, officers, and volunteers working within justice-impacted communities.
• Legal Framework Analysis: Studying and comparing national and international legal norms governing prison education and criminal justice reform.

 

Toward “Learning Prisons” – A Vision for Transformation

One of the group’s most compelling ideas was to complement the global “learning cities” movement with a vision for “learning prisons.” These institutions would prioritize education as a cornerstone of rehabilitation and human development, not merely as an activity, but as a core identity.

 

The group hopes to inspire systemic change by elevating the role of learning in prison policy, management, and culture. Learning prisons could model restorative justice principles, reduce recidivism, and promote lifelong learning for some of society’s most marginalized individuals.

 

Education as Counterpower

WG9 demonstrated that education is one of the most potent nonviolent tools for challenging injustice, rebuilding broken lives, and reclaiming democratic space in the face of organized crime and incarceration. Through transnational partnerships, shared resources, and a commitment to inclusion and dignity, this working group envisions a future where learning is not denied behind bars but cultivated as a right, a strategy, and a form of liberation.

Remembering Dr. Pappas

 

 

The University of Oklahoma community mourns the passing of Dr. James P. Pappas, a visionary leader, beloved colleague, and tireless advocate for lifelong learning. Dr. Pappas served the University for over 30 years, retiring as Vice President for University Outreach and Dean of the College of Liberal Studies—OU’s longest-serving dean.

Born in Price, Utah, to Greek immigrant parents, Dr. Pappas embodied the American dream. From humble beginnings—shining shoes in his father’s barbershop and working countless part-time jobs—he rose to become a nationally recognized leader in continuing education. After earning degrees from the University of Utah, Ohio University, and Purdue University, he dedicated his life to expanding educational opportunities for working adults, military personnel, and underserved communities.

 

At OU, Dr. Pappas led University Outreach to international prominence, managing a $100 million annual enterprise that served over 200,000 participants worldwide. Under his leadership, the College of Liberal Studies, now the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, pioneered online learning and became one of the top-ranked programs of its kind. His influence extended far beyond Oklahoma, serving as president of national professional associations and as executive director of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. His efforts helped shape the global field of continuing education, earning him induction into both the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame and the International Hall of Fame.

 

Dr. Pappas’ warmth, intellect, and unwavering commitment to service left an indelible mark on his colleagues, students, and international peers. As one colleague wrote, “Jim was a great ambassador for lifelong learning, and his friendship was always a privilege.” Dr. Pappas reiterated his commitment to service in his retirement speech in December 2016, when he said, “We created a mission statement that outlined our role as transforming people’s lives through knowledge, and, over the years, I have emphasized our collective desire to do good work. I will be ever thankful to all the staff because they embraced that mission and that purpose. I most enjoy seeing the successes of our students and clients.”

 

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Peggy, their children Jennifer and Peter, and two cherished granddaughters. His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched and the community he helped found to support his vision for a better, more educated, and peaceful world.   The James P. Pappas Scholarship is just one example, and surely there will be more James P. Pappas Memorial program initiatives created in his honor in the months ahead.

 

May his memory be eternal.

 

We invite Hall of Fame members to share their memories of Dr. Pappas in the comments section of

 

Strengthening Cooperation and Stakeholder Engagement in Adult Learning Education

 

Adult learning and education (ALE) thrive when supported by robust, inclusive partnerships. At the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence, the Working Group 10 (WG10) on Cooperation and Stakeholder Engagement for Adult Learning Education, mentored by Alfredo Soeiro (IACEHOF 2006), explored how collaboration across sectors can strengthen the ALE ecosystem at local, national, and international levels.

 

Facilitated by the Secretary General of the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), the group approached cooperation as both a structural necessity and a strategic opportunity—discussions centered on outreach, diversity, policy influence, and institutional frameworks for stakeholder engagement.

 

Framing the Dialogue: Two Dimensions of Cooperation

The session was divided into two main themes:

1. Community Engagement and Outreach:
• How do we engage diverse communities in adult education?
• What models exist for inclusive, effective outreach?
• How can community-level efforts be scaled and sustained?
2. Policy and Structural Alignment:
• How can ALE stakeholders work together to influence policy?
• What mechanisms support long-term cooperation across sectors and levels?
• How can we embed ALE within national development strategies?

 

This dual approach allowed the group to examine grassroots action and high-level coordination, acknowledging the interdependence of practice and policy.

 

Case Studies and Models of Cooperation

Several projects and national strategies were shared to illustrate effective stakeholder collaboration:

·      Slovenia’s National Lifelong Learning Strategy: Developed with the Ministry of Education and key stakeholders. It features an annual education plan, regional coordinators, and structured partnerships between government, civil society, and learning providers. It promotes data sharing, peer learning, and social learning initiatives during Lifelong Learning Week.

·      The United States Federal-State Coordination highlights the role of community colleges and state coordination groups in implementing federal education and labor policies. Examples include joint planning by the Departments of Education and Labor and stakeholder engagement through local advisory boards. It demonstrates how legal frameworks can support collaboration across workforce development and education systems.

·      Outreach and Diversity Initiatives: Projects focusing on “migrants teaching migrants” and youth-municipality partnerships were presented as scalable models for community engagement. Emphasis was placed on using guidelines and best practices to train local actors and bridge cultural gaps.

 

Challenges and Opportunities in Stakeholder Engagement

The working group acknowledged persistent barriers to effective cooperation:

• Fragmentation: Stakeholders often operate in silos, leading to duplicated efforts and inconsistent outcomes.
• Lack of Awareness: Many stakeholders are unaware of each other’s roles, contributions, or needs.
• Limited Resources: Financial and human resources are often insufficient to support sustained collaboration.

Despite these challenges, WG10 emphasized that stakeholder engagement is not optional but essential. ALE must be understood not as the responsibility of one sector but as a shared commitment across public, private, and civil society actors.

 

Strategies for Enhancing Stakeholder Cooperation

WG10 proposed the following strategies to build stronger, more permanent structures for collaboration:

• Mapping Stakeholder Roles and Expectations:
• Clearly define what each partner can offer and what they hope to gain.
• Create communication channels to manage expectations and align goals.
• Establishing Coordination Mechanisms:
• Develop national and regional cooperation bodies or networks to facilitate dialogue, share resources, and monitor progress.
• Use technology to streamline collaboration and document learning outcomes.
• Fostering a Culture of Learning:
• Recognize ALE as a professional field and advocate for its inclusion in national education and workforce strategies.
• Encourage mutual learning between institutions, communities, and countries through exchanges and site visits.
• Promoting Public and Private Partnerships:
• Engage private sector actors in lifelong learning through workplace training programs, joint certification initiatives, and co-funded education pathways.

 

A Call for Long-Term Commitment

Participants stressed that cooperation must move beyond ad hoc collaborations. Instead, ALE systems need permanent, dedicated structures for engagement. These structures should be inclusive, democratic, and adaptable to local needs.

 

Stakeholder cooperation transforms adult education from isolated interventions into sustained, systemic impact. By working together, stakeholders can make ALE more visible, equitable, and influential, ensuring it plays a central role in lifelong learning and social development.

Building Bridges Through Scholarship – Cooperation Among Journals in Adult and Continuing Education

 

The landscape of academic publishing in adult and continuing education has grown significantly over the past few decades. While the field once had only a few specialized journals, today there is a wide array of scholarly platforms exploring lifelong learning, adult basic education, non-formal learning, workforce development, and more. Despite this expansion, fragmentation persists, and opportunities for collective advancement remain underutilized.

 

At the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence, Working Group 7 (WG7) on Journals Cooperation, mentored by Paolo Federighi (IACEHOF 2019), brought together editors, researchers, and educators to consider collaborating more effectively. Their goal: to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and impact of adult education scholarship through coordinated strategies and shared infrastructure.

 

A Changing Landscape in Academic Publishing

As the number of journals has increased, so has the diversity of publishers. Today, journals are hosted by public institutions, non-governmental organizations, research centers, and commercial publishers. Universities fund some, others operate independently, and a few have achieved financial autonomy. Despite their different origins, all share common goals: high-quality scholarship, broad readership, and real-world relevance.

 

To meet these goals, WG7 members emphasized the need for collective efforts that preserve scholarly integrity while supporting innovation, access, and global engagement.

 

The Case for Journal Cooperation

The group recognized that academic journals—particularly those in adult and continuing education—often compete for submissions, citations, and readership. However, cooperation, or “co-petition,” could allow journals to maintain healthy competition while advancing shared objectives.

Benefits of cooperation could include:

• Reducing duplication of effort across editorial boards
• Supporting early-career and emerging scholars
• Increasing global visibility and citation impact
• Encouraging multilingual and multicultural scholarship
• Amplifying the voice of adult education in public discourse

 

Proposed Actions and Collaborative Mechanisms

To operationalize this vision, the working group proposed several concrete initiatives:

1.    A Shared Online Platform: A centralized webpage would present all participating journals, their calls for papers, and links to their websites. This platform would be a one-stop resource for authors, reviewers, and readers. The University of Florence offered to host this initiative under the Hall of Fame for Adult and Continuing Education (HOFE) umbrella.

2.    Establishing Minimum Quality Standards: Journals must meet basic legitimacy and scholarly rigor standards to be included on the shared platform. This would help distinguish “legitimate” journals from “predatory” ones. The standards could include peer review practices, editorial board transparency, indexing status, and ethical publishing policies.

3.    Inclusivity in Language and Geography: The platform would feature journals from all parts of the world and in all languages, reflecting the global nature of adult education. Emphasis would be placed on increasing the visibility of journals currently “invisible” in mainstream academic circles due to language or limited distribution.

4.    Supporting Emerging Scholars: The platform could highlight journals that publish early-career researchers and provide mentorship during peer review. Special issues could focus on topics of interest to new scholars or offer collaborative writing opportunities.

5.    Facilitating Joint Issues and Editor Networks: Journals could partner to produce joint special issues, share reviewer pools (in line with GDPR compliance), and benchmark editorial practices. A potential reviewer recognition award—possibly under the auspices of the Hall of Fame—was also discussed.

6.    Mutual Promotion of Scholarship: Journals could exchange article lists related to current or upcoming calls for papers. Authors could then cite relevant work across the ecosystem, enhancing interconnectedness and citation rates. Collective campaigns on political and moral issues in adult education could be amplified through coordinated publishing efforts.

 

Reimagining the Scholarly Commons

WG7’s vision is not just technical—it is philosophical. The group envisions a scholarly commons rooted in mutual support, knowledge sharing, and collective impact. Such unity is strategic and necessary in a field like adult and continuing education, which often receives less attention than other academic disciplines.

 

By building a shared infrastructure, journals can expand their reach and shape the public and policy discourse around lifelong learning.

 

A Forward-Looking Network of Editors and Educators

The session in Florence marked a significant step toward forming a global editorial network for adult education. Participants expressed enthusiasm about continuing the conversation through online forums, collaborative training sessions for editors, and joint research dissemination strategies.

 

The spirit of WG7 is perhaps best captured by its commitment to “coopetition”—a blend of cooperation and competition—rooted in a shared mission to elevate adult education scholarship and make it more accessible to those who need it most.

 

Update

European Lifelong Learning Magazine (ELM), a free online magazine focused on adult education and lifelong learning, has promoted the first initiative. ELM is a journalistic medium with a European scope and a global readership of around 50,000, mainly in Europe, published by the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation publishes it. ELM is currently seeking contributors to our column series “I argue,” which features opinion pieces written by researchers. Each column presents a focused, thought-provoking perspective on a topic in adult education or lifelong learning. 

• ELM Website: https://elmmagazine.eu/
• Contact Information: elm@kvs.fi   
• Subscribe to the ELM today!

Gender Equity Across the Life Course – Redefining Leadership and Aging in Adult Education

 

The intersections of gender, aging, and leadership form a critical but often overlooked frontier in adult and continuing education. At the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence, the Working Group 8 (WG8) on Gender Equity, Leadership, and Aging, mentored by Mary V. Alfred (IACEHOF 2016), brought together scholars, practitioners, and advocates to illuminate the persistent challenges and explore transformative possibilities in this space.

 

With discussion leaders Francesca Torlone of the University of Florence and Janet Poley (HOF 2002), the group convened through two pre-conference webinars and culminated in robust face-to-face dialogue in Florence. The theme resonated across generations and geographies, grounded in a shared commitment to social justice and systemic change.

 

Guiding Principles: Education, Research, and Advocacy

Participants agreed that three interwoven pillars must drive progress in this area:

1. Education is used to raise awareness and build capacity across institutions and communities.
2. Research is needed to uncover systemic inequities and evaluate interventions.
3. Advocacy influences policy, shifts public attitudes, and empowers affected populations.

A shared glossary will be developed as a foundational step, clarifying definitions and interpretations across cultures, languages, and policy environments. This glossary will promote conceptual clarity and foster deeper global collaboration.

 

Three Interconnected Themes

1. Active Aging Over the Life Course

The group reframed aging not as a late-life concern but as a lifelong and life-wide experience. From this perspective, policies, practices, and cultural narratives about aging must be examined through a gender equity lens.

Key issues include:

• How women's life transitions—education, motherhood, caregiving, retirement—are shaped by societal expectations.
• The need to study health disparities affecting women and their implications for healthy aging
• Addressing barriers that limit older women’s continued participation in the workforce and civic life

Active aging must be understood as personal well-being and systemic inclusion.

2. Gender Equity in the Workplace

Structural inequities in employment continue to hinder women's professional advancement and economic empowerment. These include:

• The persistent gender pay gap that compounds financial insecurity over time.
• Lack of supportive policies for caregiving responsibilities for working adults.
• Women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles, especially in higher education and adult learning sectors.

The group emphasized that these disparities have long-term effects on women’s aging and life quality, making gender equity at work a cornerstone of equitable aging.

3. Economic and Financial Violence

Perhaps the most sobering topic was the pervasive, yet often invisible, experience of economic and financial violence that many women endure throughout their lives. This includes:

• Denied access to education and employment in youth.
• Disparities in wages, benefits, and retirement contributions during working years.
• Financial dependency or exploitation in later life.

Participants noted that women’s economic vulnerability in older age often reflects cumulative disadvantages. As a result, training models are needed to help women recognize and respond to economic abuse, fraud, and exclusion. Financial literacy, legal empowerment, and digital access were highlighted as essential tools for resilience.

 

Future Directions and Commitments

The working group affirmed its intention to continue as the Gender Equity Action Working Group. Using digital tools, they will collaborate across countries and institutions to:

• Develop and disseminate educational resources and toolkits.
• Promote inclusive research that centers women’s voices and lived experiences.
• Build cross-sector advocacy campaigns targeting education, health, and labor policy decision-makers.
• Host webinars and workshops to elevate best practices and innovative approaches.

Technology will be a key enabler, ensuring continuity and broad participation across geographic boundaries.

 

A Transformative Vision of Equity and Aging

WG8 offered a powerful reminder: aging is not a standalone phase, but a cumulative outcome of social structures, institutional policies, and individual experiences. By addressing economic injustice, workplace inequality, and educational access, adult education can contribute to a future where women age with dignity, security, and purpose.

 

Through collaborative education, research, and advocacy, the working group aims to shift paradigms toward equity in opportunity, outcomes, and the entire arc of women’s lives.