Recognition Before Reskilling

There’s a theory, "tabula rasa", which says that we are born as blank slates. That knowledge is only gained through experience and that we start from nothing and build up from there.

But is that really true?

As newborns, we instinctively root, grasp, and respond to voices. We are born with reflexes, rhythms and preferences. There is knowledge already encoded in our bodies that is passed through our DNA. New research also suggests that the knowledge of our culture, survival, pain and trauma is perhaps also stored in our cells.

And yet… in most of our learning and talent development systems, we still treat people as if they are starting from scratch. Before we acknowledge their expertise, we create plans to train, reskill, upskill, and make people 'fit' for the job.

- What if we stopped assuming blank slates and asking people to start from zero and, instead, recognized the wealth of learning and skills they bring to the table, from day one? What if Bootcamp Day 1 is all about recognition of learning and validation of skills?

- What kind of conversations can we have in our teams, organizations and industry sectors, that can allow us to acknowledge, recognize and validate this prior learning and skills and meet people where they are?

- How can we use a strength-based lens and recognition-first mindset? What can help us reframe our thinking and our work?

The answers? I hope you will find some in the following podcast! 

"Recognition before reskilling." - I hope that's the message you will get from listening to the latest episode of the TIDES Podcast. I am so grateful to Shveta Malhan for inviting me as a guest, for asking such thoughtful and pragmatic questions and for creating the space for such an important conversation.

I have been working in the areas of learning and recognition for over 25 years. But what I have found is that we often rush to retrain, reskill, or retool without pausing to ask, what do our people already know. What do we value and recognize and therefore, what are we failing to see, name, and value?

In a world chasing efficiency and automation, I am all about scaling our humanity :) So, if you're curious about how we can use recognition of prior learning as a mindset to center human fingerprints in AI-powered workplaces, give this episode a listen.

Listen to the episode here https://lnkd.in/gudtsw83

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how a recognition-first mindset has helped surface skills in your work and how recognizing lived learning can change lives.

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Shveta's Original Posting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shvetamalhan_tidespodcast-recognitionofpriorlearning-humanizingai

Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment

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