Government strategy for the third stage of life

As Taiwan begins to worry about how its future workforce can be sustained, there is something else we should be asking: When someone leaves the workforce, who might help them learn something new, transition into a different role and find a new direction in life?

The National Development Council’s latest population projections indicate that Taiwan’s working-age population, aged 15 to 64, would decline by more than 10 million people from approximately 15.76 million this year to 5.13 million in 2075. This alarm bell for demographic change also represents a challenge for the education system.

As of September, Taiwan had 11.64 million employed people, down 15,000 from the previous month, official statistics showed. A long-term trend cannot be drawn from a single month’s figures, but in light of the council’s population projections, they underscore the urgent need for Taiwan to develop its future workforce strategy.

Encouraging older people to remain employed is an important measure. However, this does not mean treating older people as a labor force stopgap; it is not only enabling people to work longer that is important, but ensuring that they retain the ability to learn, make choices and contribute at different stages of life.

Taiwan’s education system is focused on school-age education and pre-employment training. Young people receive education to prepare for the workforce, while workers undergo training to upskill. Yet those who are approaching retirement or are already retired lack a comprehensive system to help them develop new skill sets, plan their lives anew, or explore new employment and opportunities for social participation. While the nation has prepared pensions, healthcare and long-term care, it has yet to adequately prepare for education after retirement.

The government must incorporate education for the third stage of life into public policy for a super-aged society:

First, establish a transitional education system that enables people approaching retirement to learn about life planning, digital technology, additional skill sets and social participation options at an early stage.

Second, integrate lifelong learning for older adults with employment policies for middle-aged and older people, allowing learning to connect with vocational development, local industries and volunteer work.

Finally, rethink the allocation of educational resources in response to declining birthrates. Consider transforming suitable school campuses slated for closure into learning centers for the third stage of life, bringing together universities, local industries and communities to develop intergenerational learning and programs for older talent.

Taiwan does not lack middle-aged and older people with experience, expertise and enthusiasm. What it lacks is a system and environment that allow these capabilities to continue developing. As the working-age population declines, educational resources should adapt and reconsider whom they serve and what their public mission should be. In eyeing the working potential of older people, the government must also recognize their capacity to learn, create and contribute to society. Taiwan needs more than an extension of working life; it needs an education system that supports continued growth throughout the second half of life.

Let education accompany people throughout their working lives, not merely until retirement. Let retirement become a starting point for a new chapter in life, rather than the beginning of withdrawal from society. This is the preparation a super-aged society requires.

Hsieh Min-hsien is an adjunct assistant professor of counseling psychology and human resource development at National Chi Nan University.