Continual learning and development are the keys here, with a focus on the skills and competencies that will improve results. As an employer, we must ensure that our people are successful in their work. And for employees to be successful in an ever-changing world, they must be able to learn, unlearn, and relearn. That, in and of itself, is quite different from past workplace learning and development challenges. Workers' values are changing as well.
Workers now expect their employer to address their learning needs.
And, they will choose those employers that provide them with the most educational opportunities. These trends in the nature of work and in the workforce constitute significant challenges for workforce learning, development, and education. Well, because learning and continuing education are so important today, OPM is encouraging Federal agencies to increase their use of workforce planning. We want them to be able to forecast skills changes and to anticipate workforce trends and needs. We are also motivating them to use learning as a strategic management tool throughout the organization.