Lifelong training approaches for the post-pandemic workforces: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This systematic review presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature examining training approaches and resources intended for workforce development in increasingly digital workplaces, a trend that has been expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. The review adheres to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and incorporates 29 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from a preliminary pool of 1,095 publications spanning the years 2020 to 2022. A thematic synthesis was employed to evaluate the included articles. The examined literature focused on (1) establishing guidelines for designing digital transformation training programs, (2) mapping and analysing training programs and resources for digital transformation, and (3) describing the design and implementation processes of these training programs across different sectors. The synthesized findings present an overview of the educational theories and learning methodologies underlying the training programs, the technologies implemented in training, and other key characteristics of these programs. The review acknowledges certain limitations, as many articles do not systematically report negative outcomes or drawbacks of the described lifelong training interventions. However, the review provides valuable insights and research-based recommendations for training employees in highly digitalised workplaces.