I think as an employee in the IT or engineering field, in a job that might become automated, it is your job to keep on learning to stay valuable for the company.
At the same time it would be very nice of the employer to offer programs for this. This is not mandatory though, and the employer wold definitely appreciate the initiative shown by the employee if he learned new skills relevant to the company.
I think employees who show initiative are of the highest value to any business.