At a recent university community open event I met a spritely octogenarian who was filled with curiosity about the new university that had just arrived on her doorstep. During the conversation she shared with me that she would have treasured the opportunely to attend university when she was younger and that she had particularly enjoyed learning later in life, it was just too late for her to go to university. We ended up speaking for a while, with me explaining that I have known several undergraduate students who started university much later in life than the ‘average’ mature student. As her interest grew, the questions became more detailed, from finance to student life. We concluded together that there was no reason she couldn’t still benefit from a higher education.
By 2028, the UK State pension age will reach 67 and it is predicted continue to rise at a faster rate than originally expected. There is a real prospect that those in primary school will be working into their 80s. My own father was still working in his early 70s, despite an annual ritual of saying he will retire next year, he enjoyed problem solving, learning new things, and meeting people. The evidence suggests this trend of working in later life will continue through both choice and necessity, and this is already the case in United States. It is reasonable to assume industry will require this segment of the workforce to retrain and develop higher skills. So, what does this mean for higher education?
