Lifelong Learning: Why It’s Important and How You Can Embrace It
Once you’ve completed your mandatory education, you may want to consider learning beyond school. Lifelong learning is voluntary, meaning it’s completely up to you if you want to get back into studying. However, one of the main goals of lifelong learning is to improve your professional or personal development, so here are a few reasons why it’s so important and how you can embrace it.
Understanding Lifelong Learning
The great thing about lifelong learning is that it can be conducted in various different ways. Whether it be through formal training, Knowledge sharing, coaching, or a process that’s far less structured, lifelong learning can be done at a time and pace that suits you best. You may not realize it, but even the daily interactions you have with your colleagues, as well as the behaviors and knowledge you learn both in and out of work, can also be classed as lifelong learning.
Examples of Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning is a broad term, meaning there are all sorts of ways in which you can continue enhancing your knowledge. Some of the common types of lifelong learning are vocational courses, internships, playing a new sport, studying a new topic, learning a new language, or gaining knowledge and behaviors from your environment. While these are just a few examples, there are various other things that you can do which fall under the umbrella of lifelong learning.
The Benefits
There are all sorts of benefits that come with lifelong learning. Some of the main advantages include gaining a new qualification, adding towards your transferable skills, to earn more money, to increase your job prospects, as well as broadening your skills and knowledge. No matter what type of course you decide to pick, lifelong learning can be useful to you in so many ways.
Why It’s Important
Workplaces are becoming more complex and diverse, meaning that more employers than ever are realizing that there are more ways to find the right person for the job, without heavily relying on formal qualifications. Knowledge that has been gained in the past, as well as special skills which have been learned or self-taught can be hugely beneficial to the business. Implementing lifelong learning in the workplace can ensure that employees continue to work on and develop their skills.
Useful Tips
If you would like to further your education, but you don’t know where to begin, there are several useful tips that you can make use of. No matter what field you go down, there are tons of online resources that you can use to your advantage to help you learn. These include listening to podcasts, downloading eBooks, as well as looking into discounted courses and training materials. Because this type of learning is entirely voluntary, you will need to be dedicated and focused on your studies. To keep you on track, make sure to give yourself incentives, or ask for support from your family and friends.
If you’re already in employment, you may benefit from asking your employer to help with your personal development planning. It’s likely that they will already provide tons of training internally, and you may find they will help subsidize the cost of a brand-new certification, especially if it benefits their business. Make sure to take every opportunity you can, as broadening your knowledge can only be a good thing.
Whether you’re looking to climb up the career ladder, or you simply just want to learn something new, lifelong learning can be the perfect way to improve your personal or professional development. With no barriers or obstacles to face, lifelong learning requires self-motivation and perseverance. There are plenty of courses to pick from, meaning you are bound to find something you enjoy.