These are times of continuous training and constant reinvention, and these processes do not stop as professional careers enter their final stretch. On the contrary, acquiring new skills and perfecting the ones already acquired has practically become a compulsory subject for senior workers, those who are approaching or over fifty. A complex moment, in which the years of experience should serve to reach the highest professional levels, but which sometimes becomes a real journey through the desert due to some biases that have taken root in the job market. To maintain strength in the employability career or to seek new horizons, master's studies are an attractive option for senior workers.
In the case of Celia Cuevas, at 54 years old, they represent an example of interest in deepening her training. With a degree in Mathematics, she began working very early in the field of energy consulting for companies such as Iberdrola or the Red Eléctrica Group (currently Redeia). From there, she went to the technology consulting firm Atos, where they were interested in her knowledge of the energy sector. And it was her company that offered Celia a new training opportunity: «The Human Resources department offered the possibility of taking the Talentia 360 Management Development Program for women at the EOI (School of Industrial Organization), and I was one of those chosen ».
Celia did not hesitate to start this new path of knowledge, even though her busy schedule, both professional and personal, did not seem to admit any more gaps... but she saw no problem: «I have six children, so (smiles) I already know how organize me”. Five months of master's degree have meant that in her new stage at Atos she can "have a deeper knowledge of the different areas of the company, which has helped me open my mind even more".
This experience of professional and personal development is in line with the new trends in the labor market, in which even companies such as Securitas Direct promote recruitment campaigns for 'seniors', not only as part of their commitment to social responsibility, but also as recognition of the value of experience. In the case of master's training, from the Adecco Foundation they point out that "the decision usually corresponds to managers who want to expand their knowledge and practical experiences, conceive a more up-to-date and global business management, etc."
«The important economic and time investment (they point out from the foundation) that a master's degree entails and that, in addition, in most cases requires having a university or graduate degree or, at least, a specialization certificate means that, usually, unemployed people over 45 years of age, especially when they need to work urgently, opt for other types of training: professional certificates, specialized courses in new technologies, languages, marketing and sales... In any case, it should be stressed that those over 45 45-year-olds who decide to study a master's degree usually see reinforced skills and competencies that can make them 10 students: critical thinking, analytical capacity, experience, leadership, maturity or temperance, etc.».
The case of the UNED is significant, since it has an average of 40 years of age among its students, due to the type of education that is taught. An institution in which many seniors interested in 'studying for the sake of studying' enroll, that is, acquiring knowledge as a hobby, as a passion. In the case of Francisco Toro, 47 years old, these motivations have become his current professional development, in a current situation very distant from his extensive experience as a computer scientist at the Sabadell City Council: «I was very interested in language, culture, English , so I decided to take the Degree in English Studies».
The next step was to enroll in the Master's degree, also at the UNED, in Research in English Cultural and Literary Studies. Two years that have consolidated as a profession something that began as a vocation: «Currently I am doing a doctorate, and I work as a research teacher and tutor in English studies at the UNED. I have met many people my age, and older, who are interested, for various reasons, in continuing to study».
Regarding technology, essential in times of digital transformation, ISDI highlights how "it is undeniable that in the world to come and in which we are already living, 'life long learning' is something that we have to include in our day-to-day , but with all the radical changes that are happening in business, in the company and in the world in general. For this reason, senior profiles (45 years old) often approach us looking for that 'something more' in their training»
The itinerary proposed, in these cases, by ISDI can be «a 'reskilling' of specialization in digital business, through our MIB master's degree (Master in Internet Business), an accredited executive master's degree of 9 months (450 hours), an MBA which, through a precise knowledge of technology and digital tools, enables this senior professional to turn his or her career around or to integrate it into the new needs that the digital economy is generating". Opportunities to lead the strategic and technological transformation of teams, which are complemented by options such as the DIBEX executive program (Digital Business Executive Program), "a transversal vision of the business world to put it in today's context: digital transformation , to 'touch' business, technology, talent, innovation, ecosystems, marketing, etc.». New opportunities for students who already began their studies in the 20th century.
