On one hand we have an increasingly diverse workforce: multicultural and multilingual (a global trend, not just in the U.S) and an older workforce initially untrained in rapidly emerging technologies. On the other hand, we have a younger workforce growing up in a highly technical world of constant change.
People are retiring later or not retiring at all. Global migration is increasing Companies cannot rely on schools to provide a ready workforce. No longer can enterprise take the experience/training/education of their workforce for granted and have to offer opportunities for individuals to come up to speed.
Regulations/Legal ComplianceWe live in a litigious society and changing regulatory environments leave enterprises and their employees open to prosecution, for example, for sexual harassment, environmental damage, and workplace injuries. Increasingly, environmental awareness requires different ways of working in different locations. Global workers must adapt to varied laws, regulation and conventions around the world. For example, bribes, although not called that, may be a "routine" way of doing business in some cultures. Learning programs must embrace a wide range of cultural nuances.
Science and technology is evolving at an ever-increasing rate. Innovation will continue to provide the edge. Thus companies must encourage creativity and exploration, which is accomplished through individualized, informal approaches to learning.
GlobalizationPartners and customers and suppliers and alliances are no longer next door. They're all around the world. Enterprises and individuals need to be to deal with differences in tradition, languages, and ways of working. Localization technologies and bi-cultural employees can translate not just language but cultural nuance through enterprise learning programs.
Stakeholders include fellow employees, the local communities in which an enterprise operates, and professional associations as well as the traditional stakeholders such as shareholders, customers, and suppliers. All of these stakeholders expect more for less, sooner. Effective learning programs bring the ecosystem together.
Home/Life BalanceIn an increasingly everytime, everyplace work sphere, individuals will find it difficult to maintain a balance between their work and the rest of their lives. For the health, safety and sanity (and productivity and creativity) of employees, they need to be encouraged by enterprises to find ways to navigate.
Similar to home/life balance, there's more to life than work. There's more to business than profit. Enterprises and individuals increasingly will evaluate success in more than just monetary terms.