people were training for their next job.
Which is ok. Cisco tells us all the time we are Cisco employees, and that we, as individuals, are responsible for our careers. Previously Cisco sought to keep our skills somewhat relevant to the industry. I remember getting CAP awards to complete training. But then it was our responsibility.
For a while after that, you were just a resource. Drag and drop the cheapest in for the role.
But it’s changing again. You are no longer a resource, but an “identity”. So, in a management role, you have to be female. For a STEM job, you’d better be female or a minority. If you’re a low-paid janitor, the best would be an older white male, so that the gender and minority pay gaps are narrowed.
It’s not about skill and capability any more, your class/identity trumps that.