Postsecondary institutions must invest in online continuing education to avoid losing future opportunities: Opinion

Opinion

In a recent article for EvoLLLution, Gary Hepburn, Dean of the G Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University, discusses his perspective on the future of university continuing education. Hepburn writes that postsecondary institutions will want to thoughtfully consider how they serve adult learners, as career-focused adult learning is expected to experience growth in a time when university degree programs are likely to struggle. The author highlights challenges with sector-wide slow progress on adult learning offerings and the appearance of competing organizations in the adult learning space, as well as the opportunities for university continuing education units that can “escape their university’s gravitational field” and take a nimble, bold approach toward adult learning. Hepburn concludes by emphasizing the need for institutions to “get serious” about adult learning as its influence grows in the coming years.

EvoLLLution