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Due to global trends, pandemics, and technological developments, remote work has increased and needs employers and employees who continuously improve their abilities and expertise. It is expected that by 2028 the number of remote workers will be around 73% in companies (https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/employee-benefits-and-reward/2028-three-quaters-businesses-will-remote-workers/) and 76% of workers would be more willing to stay with their current employer if they could work flexible hours (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/most-interesting-remote-work-statistics-examine-just-how-scott/). The role of lifelong learning should also increase to support remote workers and companies. Lifelong learning means continuous learning for acquiring and updating skills, and knowledge necessary for work and life. Lifelong learning, continuous training, and developing a remote working culture are key drivers of innovation, productivity, worker engagement, satisfaction, support for digital businesses, and company competitiveness in the market.

In remote work, employees and employers face difficulties not only with new forms of work but also with remote technology, communication and cooperation issues, lack of direct supervision and support as well as cyber threats. Lifelong learning and continuous training help employees in this context, i.e. employees understand the latest tools and technologies, learn quickly to use them, work independently, and manage their work plans. Lifelong learning and continuous training improve life satisfaction and support the long-term growth of the company. 

In this study, the author presents first some characteristics and challenges of remote work and gives examples of how lifelong learning can help and motivate employees in this context i.e. by use of remote technology, virtual communication and cooperation facilities. Lifelong learning within remote work also has advantages for employers, some of which are given in the study. Ways to create a lifelong remote culture, strategies to foster lifelong learning in companies, as well as critical risks, are presented. 

One problem is that remote work environments have changed how and where employees work (i.e. outside the traditional office environments, on home networks, often without corresponding security measures) and cybercriminals exploit such vulnerabilities. The author has experience in this domain and knows that developing and using cybersecurity knowledge and skills to avoid cyber threats is important, but it requires lifelong learning and continuous training. 

The author leads the Lifelong Learning study group of the IAT and works on concepts that contribute to developing an inclusive, well-being remote culture and also to avoid cyber threats by using lifelong learning and continuous training, particularly within small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), These will be based also on author own experience by working with SMEs which need help in this context due to few resources and experience.

Remote work, lifelong learning, continuous training, remote working culture, cybersecurity training, AI