In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, continuous learning is essential for companies to remain competitive and resilient. This is particularly critical for small enterprises in the industrial sector, which often employ individuals with lower educational attainment and lack well-developed skills development practices. Such gaps leave these firms at a disadvantage in terms of adaptability and innovation. By embedding lifelong learning and agile learning principles, organisations can progress toward becoming true "learning organisations"—a concept that emphasises the continuous cultivation of skills and knowledge through openness, shared learning, and an adaptive mindset.

The target group in this study comprises men over 50 with low educational attainment, working in small enterprises within the industrial sector. According to the OECD (2020), this demographic, particularly those employed in the industrial sector, is among the least likely to participate in training or seek opportunities for skills development. This paper examines the situation of the target group using the elements supporting continuous learning as outlined by Leenamaija Otala (2018) and provides proposals on factors that can enhance continuous learning for this group.

The objective of this study is to identify the core elements that support continuous learning among the target group. The study aims to describe the current state of these elements within the target group, offering a detailed assessment of existing strengths and gaps. Finally, the study seeks to produce actionable development proposals to foster a more supportive and effective corporate learning culture for this group.

This is a quantitative study based on data collected from employee surveys on well-being at work and competence in small industrial enterprises. The surveys were conducted in autumn 2024 across 20 small industrial enterprises in Finland. The sample (N=82) consists of men aged 51 and older with low educational attainment, employed within these 20 companies.

Preliminary findings indicate an interest and motivation among the target group to enhance their current skills and acquire new digital competencies. However, a lack of discussion culture and encouragement within organisations is evident. Employers provide limited support for skills development, ideation, and innovation proposals, and employees receive little feedback to support knowledge-sharing practices. Furthermore, skill development and knowledge-sharing efforts are often unstructured, and the accumulated experience of employees remains underutilised.

Preliminary conclusions highlight the need to cultivate a stronger culture of dialogue and encouragement within work organisations while promoting better utilisation of existing expertise in the work community.

Keywords: Skill development, Men over 50, Continuous learning, Lifelong learning, Employer encouragement, Organisational communication culture.