I continue to ponder about the Learning Pit video that I talked about yesterday. Learning, teaching, and synthesis of knowledge are key areas of interest of mine.
I often wonder what I would do if I were in politics. It is most unlikely that I will, but it always good to dream. I keep thinking of small things that make big changes in large eco-systems benefitting everyone. And for me, it would be a single 40% payroll tax on all payroll paid. And I am not a socialist or a communist of any sort. Why? Read on.
I believe that learning provides options. And options put countries ahead. So, one would start with individual learning as the core to the growth of individuals, through them the business (collective) and through that the overall country.
Learning provides options.
Individual learning leads to individual growth leading to business growth leading to whole country growth.
I would take the 40% fund and split the money into two parts - the tax would not be remitted to the government, but would fund two things - one a 20% fund for each employee to tap for any learning that they would like to do while they are working. The other 20% will be funded as time by employers. Aka a four-day workweek. However, the employee will be allowed to take 20% time off only to participate in a course of their choice. And the funds for the course will come from the 20% put away for the learning. However, to use the money and time, the employee would have to do the course, otherwise, they would be back working for the full-five days (to receive the four-day equivalent of wages). So, it a learn it or lose it fund and time.
20% fund to learning courses, 20% time available to do courses.
Learn it or lose it!
I believe that this would put individuals on a constant learning journey and growth trajectory. That would put organizations in a growth trajectory so that they would be able to better compete with higher impact (knowledge/skills/competencies) work and that would put the countries ahead compared to low-knowledge-skills-based economies. Ta-da! A constant growth spiral.
I know I would be asked about what I am smokin’. Maybe, I should smoke something so that I don’t come up with crazy things like this. But, it is lovely to dream on…
Maybe I would become a failed politician, one day…
Resources:
Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition Written by Paulo Freire
https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/390242540/Pedagogy-of-the-Oppressed-50th-Anniversary-Edition