Yes, corporate short-term thinking and looking for the quick temporary win affects training and may also impact the length of careers as noted in an article linked within the article:
Originally Posted by article
Financially struggling boomers fill many of the jobs that young people once assumed would be theirs. And according to a recent poll
Originally Posted by linked article (recent poll)
About three-quarters of respondents said they have given their retirement years some or a great deal of thought. When considering factors that are very or extremely important in their retirement decisions, 78 percent of workers cited financial needs... and 67 percent said their need for employer benefits such as health insurance.
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"Many people had experienced a big downward movement in their 401k plans, so they're trying to make up for that period of time when they lost money,"
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Originally Posted by paraphrasing
Even though baby boomers as a whole may plan or hope to work longer, many are without jobs due to corporate cutbacks and lack of success in job searches after being displaced.
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one-third of retired survey respondents said they did not stop working by choice
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Eight percent say they were forced from a job because of their age.
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So almost a decade sooner than expected, he retired. "It came sooner than I was hoping," he said. "The economy doesn't need me, so I guess I'll just retire."
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"I sure would like to work," she said. "I enjoy being with people. I enjoy having the income."
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"Retirement is not going to be comfortable. It's going to be hard."

University tuition which is "free at point of service" and funded by taxes paid throughout the lifespan may add fuel to a debate which has been ongoing for decades: the value of liberal arts education (sometimes called classical education, or the education of free people) -vs- career-oriented education (sometimes called vocational training, or the task-oriented training traditionally given to peasants) may be viewed differently depending upon SES.

In a shrinking economy, more families may be drawn to vocational training for employment in manual tasks which cannot be easily outsourced, providing a semblance of job security, financial stability, and more control over career length.

It may bear repeating that some may wonder what has spurred the rapid increase in University tuition. Funding research? Shifting costs to some students in order to subsidize others? Paying out lifetime retirement benefits? The most effective answers to controlling costs of higher education may be in identifying the areas of cost growth, prior to considering how growing costs might be funded. As with gifted students, each institution may have a unique profile, and therefore a unique approach, rather than a one-size-fits-all policy.