Why universities must become flexible lifelong partners, not one-time providers

Today’s careers rarely follow predictable paths. Artificial intelligence, automation and shifting organisational structures mean that professionals increasingly move between roles, sectors and technologies throughout their working lives. Education can no longer be confined to a single stage of life.

Universities recognise this shift. Many institutions are experimenting with modular master’s programmes, short professional courses and stackable qualifications designed to support reskilling and upskilling across a career. What remains to be seen is whether they can adapt quickly enough.

The traditional degree structure was built around a simple assumption. Students enter university at the start of their adult lives, study for a defined period and graduate with a qualification that prepares them for a career. For much of the 20th century, this model worked well.

Today, labour markets are being reshaped by rapid technological change. As a result, many learners are no longer seeking a single qualification early in their careers. Instead, they want opportunities to return to education repeatedly as their professional needs evolve.

But designing flexible modules is the relatively straightforward part of the challenge. The more pertinent question is whether universities are organised in ways that allow flexibility to function effectively.

When institutional systems resist flexibility

Much of the infrastructure underpinning higher education was designed around fixed programmes and predictable student journeys.

Admissions systems assume annual entry points rather than continuous enrolment. Student record platforms expect learners to follow a defined programme rather than assemble credentials over time. Quality assurance processes can struggle to accommodate courses that need to evolve quickly in response to industry change.

Funding models can reinforce rigidity as well. Fee structures and regulatory frameworks are frequently aligned with full programmes rather than incremental learning experiences.

These realities mean that flexible learning initiatives often sit alongside traditional structures rather than being fully integrated into them.

In practice, universities may introduce modular courses while still operating systems designed for linear degrees. Flexibility exists conceptually, but operationally it remains difficult. If lifelong learning is to become a core function of universities rather than a peripheral offering, these structural constraints will need to be addressed.

Designing programmes around sectors and skills

Alongside structural change, universities also need to design programmes that respond more directly to sector needs. In the business school context, generic management degrees still have value. However, employers increasingly seek graduates who understand the intricacies of specific industries.

At our business school, programme development has involved closer engagement with sectors undergoing rapid transformation. Discussions with retail partners, for example, highlighted the need for graduates who understand modern retail operations, from digital supply chains and data-driven decision-making to evolving customer expectations.

This led to the development of a retail leadership degree apprenticeship delivered fully online. Apprentices working across the country can study while remaining in employment. The programme was developed in partnership with Lidl, one of Europe’s largest supermarket chains, allowing employees to develop leadership capabilities while applying their learning directly in the workplace.

The broader lesson extends beyond any single programme. Effective curriculum design increasingly begins with understanding sector-specific workforce challenges and designing learning experiences that reflect the environments in which graduates will work.

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Beyond stackable learning

Flexible programme structures are often presented as the solution to the changing nature of work. Stackable credentials allow learners to gain targeted expertise while maintaining a pathway towards a higher qualification. This approach is particularly useful in fast-evolving areas such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Programmes such as the MSc project management and the MSc artificial intelligence for business and innovation at our business school illustrate how this approach can work. Rather than assuming that every learner will enrol in a full master’s programme immediately, modules can be designed to function both as part of the degree and as stand-alone learning opportunities.

A professional working in industry might enrol in a single module focused on digital project delivery, strategic innovation or the application of artificial intelligence in business. Completing that module can provide a professional certificate or microcredential. If the learner later chooses to continue studying, the completed modules can be accumulated and stacked towards a postgraduate certificate, diploma or, eventually, a full master’s qualification.

This reflects how professionals increasingly engage with learning. Many cannot step away from their careers to pursue a full programme immediately, but they are willing to undertake shorter, targeted learning that addresses specific organisational challenges.

However, stackable learning alone is not enough. True flexibility extends beyond the curriculum. Marketing strategies must reach professionals who may return to education several times during their careers. Academic calendars may need to support more varied entry points. Student support services must adapt to learners balancing study with employment and family responsibilities. Flexible education, in other words, is not simply a curriculum issue. It is an institutional one.

From programmes to learning ecosystems

These pressures point towards a broader redefinition of higher education. Rather than viewing education as a one-time experience culminating in a degree, universities increasingly need to see themselves as partners in professional development across an entire career.

This means moving from a model centred on programmes to one focused on learning ecosystems that allow individuals to enter, leave and re-engage with higher education as their needs evolve.

Business schools may be particularly well placed to lead this shift because of their close engagement with employers and their long tradition of educating professionals at different stages of their careers.

But success will depend on more than introducing new modules or certificates. Universities must confront a fundamental question. Are the systems, structures and cultures that define higher education capable of supporting genuinely flexible learning?

The sector has already embraced the language of lifelong learning – the next step is ensuring that universities themselves are built to deliver it.

Sankar Sivarajah is the dean of Kingston University Business School.

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