PWFO – learn from the past.

History tells us that many of those who structured education did it for their own benefits and for the industrial world they were creating. I like to believe that most encouraged teaching and learning for altruistic reasons.

As for works, during the 19th century, the factory system gradually replaced the network of people working in their own homes or in small workshops.

History is repeating itself as in "Ghost Work," Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri forecast that, what they call "on-demand work," will reach 60% of the global workforce by 2055.

The reason is that employers prefer on-demand workers because they can save on employment costs.

The downside is that workers now end up with little access to legal protections, security, and pension, associated with formal employment.

However, in the same way, the internet has provided solutions that have created these new types of occupations, workers can organise themselves through communities. One route is the creation of communities into online forums to learn new skills from those who have the experience like an apprenticeship, share information, or even share mandates. 

The same way the "system" keeps a record on anybody, a professional community can start keeping records on good employers, service providers and become a body of excellence in the services the members intend proposing.

Let us learn from the past and take hold of our future.