Abstract

Adult learning programmes refer to organized educational activities designed to help adults acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to their personal and occupational development, while employees’ readiness to acquire new occupational skills refers to their willingness, preparedness, and openness to learning competencies required for new or changing work responsibilities. In a rapidly changing work environment, employees need to continuously develop new skills to remain effective and respond to changing occupational demands. However, inadequate learning opportunities may limit employees’ willingness and preparedness to acquire new occupational competencies. This study will examine the impact of adult learning programmes on employees’ readiness to acquire new occupational skills. Adult learning programmes can provide employees with opportunities to develop occupational knowledge through workshops, seminars, workplace training, continuing education, practical demonstrations, skills-development courses, and other structured learning activities. These programmes can expose employees to new techniques, procedures, technologies, and work-related knowledge. By providing relevant and accessible learning opportunities, adult education can help employees become more familiar with changing occupational requirements and prepare them for further skills development. Employees’ readiness to acquire new occupational skills involves their willingness to learn, openness to new knowledge, preparedness for training, and commitment to developing competencies required for changing work responsibilities. Employees who are ready to acquire new skills may be more willing to participate in training and adapt their existing knowledge to new occupational requirements. Adult learning programmes can therefore contribute to employees’ readiness by creating learning opportunities that are relevant to their occupational needs and encouraging continuous professional development. The study will adopt a quantitative research design. The population will comprise employees participating in selected workplace adult learning and professional development programmes. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure participation in adult learning programmes and employees’ readiness to acquire new occupational skills. The instrument will be subjected to appropriate validity and reliability procedures before administration. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, while the relevant hypothesis will be tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study is expected to establish that adult learning programmes have a positive impact on employees’ readiness to acquire new occupational skills. It is expected that employees who participate in relevant adult learning programmes will demonstrate greater willingness, preparedness, and openness to acquiring new occupational competencies than employees with limited exposure to such programmes. The findings will have implications for teaching and learning in Adult Education by emphasizing the importance of occupationally relevant learning opportunities for working adults. Adult educators can design practical learning activities that address current workplace requirements and prepare employees for emerging occupational demands. Workshops, practical exercises, problem-based learning, and workplace-oriented instruction can make adult learning more relevant and encourage employees to pursue continuous skills development. The study will be significant to employees, adult educators, workplace trainers, employers, human resource practitioners, professional development providers, and organizations offering adult learning programmes. Employees may benefit from increased preparedness for occupational skills development, while adult educators and workplace trainers may gain useful information for designing effective employee learning programmes. Employers may also use the findings to strengthen staff development initiatives and support employees’ continuous acquisition of relevant occupational competencies. The study recommends that organizations should provide accessible and relevant adult learning programmes that prepare employees for changing occupational skill requirements. Adult educators and workplace trainers should employ practical, participatory, and workplace-oriented teaching methods that encourage employees to engage in continuous learning. Employers should also support employees’ participation in training and skills-development opportunities. The study concludes that effective adult learning programmes can contribute to greater employee readiness to acquire new occupational skills.

Keywords: Adult learning programmes, adult education, employees, occupational skills, skills acquisition, workplace learning, employee readiness, professional development, continuing education, occupational development, workplace training, adult learners, skills development, employee learning, occupational competence