Forces shaping in the business environment over the next decade will have implications for the education and training of the workforce. Changing population demographics, new models of service delivery, evolving scopes of practice and technological innovations are changing the number and mix of human resources required, as well as the kinds of skills needed.

The increased emphasis on life-long learning stems from several factors. First, globally, career mobility is on the rise. Second, the focus on continuous quality improvement underscores the need to keep up with the latest research and improvements in practice. Third, the proliferation of knowledge makes it vital for employees to have access to resources to keep abreast of advances in scientific knowledge and to acquire new skills.