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Who will benefit from the introduction of advanced technology and who is at risk of exclusion? Are people – especially young people – aware of the necessity to engage in lifelong learning? And is lifelong learning really for everyone?

These questions and others, are subject of a five month long research fellowship of labour economist Joop Schippers of Utrecht University. He is now working as a "fellow" at , the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences. It provides temporary fellowships for talented scholars – renowned and up-and-coming researchers alike. The title of Schippers' research project is: .

I'm focussing on young people: what does the workplace of the future have in store for them? And what does it take to succeed in their carreer?

“It's an honour to be invited as fellow here”, says Schippers, who for the time of the fellowship, will not be teaching at Utrecht University. “This research project will strengthen the research I'm allready doing in the Future of Work hub in Utrecht. My findings will result in a whitepaper, which is a follow-up on the whitepaper I wrote with Utrecht University colleagues in 2015, “Op weg naar een duurzame arbeidsmarkt”. This time, I'm focussing more on young people: what does the workplace of the future have in store for them? And what does it take to succeed in their carreers?"

Lifelong learning sometimes easier said then done 

Part of Schippers' research will focus on the principle of "lifelong learning". This is often seen as a panacea to counteract the negative effects of new technology on the labour market. The question is, however, whether both individuals and institutional arrangements are ready to deal with this challenge. "And if it doesn't work out for some people, are there alternatives?", Schippers asks. "Can workers, who don't like to return to "school", be helped by more training on the job?"

Labour economist Schippers wants to discover what is working well, and what isn't, regarding lifelong learning. He will talk to the Dutch UWV and to companies. He will use existing studies and empirical research in the form of interviews with experts and social partners. Schippers also wants to learn from other countries how they deal with the same issues.

Joop Schippers will be working in Amstedam untill 1 July as a fellow at NIAS-KNAW. NIAS is the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Schippers'“fellowship” is sponsored by the Dutch foundation . 

Presentation at NIAS-KNAW at the start of Schippers' research