Lifelong learning is the idea of continuing to pursue educational development beyond an individual’s compulsory education. A form of self-initiated personal development, adopting a mentality of lifelong learning can help you meet professional ambitions and achieve personal fulfilment.
However, what does this mean in real terms? Why is lifelong learning important, and what can it help you achieve? Finally, what are the easiest ways to kickstart your adult education journey? In this gude, we answer all of these questions and more as we take a deep dive into lifelong learning.
From a personal perspective, lifelong learning is important for two reasons. Firstly it can help individuals to achieve professional ambitions. From gaining that qualification you need to land a job in your dream profession to gaining new skills to see you progress, education is at the heart of professional development.
Secondly, lifelong learning can feed an individual’s passions, whatever they might be. Humans have a natural drive to grow and explore. Learning throughout your life helps to indulge this need. This can lead to a better quality of life and a sense of self-fulfilment. Whether you have a passion for photography or want to start a new career in hairdressing, lifelong learning courses can help you reach your goals.
And the beauty of this? Age and/or past experience are no barrier to your professional development.
More than ever before, lifelong learning is being viewed as increasingly valuable to employers too. After all, if employees continue to develop and grow their skills while they work, this can only be beneficial for the business. With the working environment changing faster than ever, retraining and upskilling is essential. This means lifelong learning is just as important for employers as it is for ambitious employees.
Lifelong learning is crucial to long-term career success because it shows your employer you are striving to improve. It demonstrates you want to upskill and become a more valuable employment asset. However, it’s equally important if you are looking to start a career in a new field.
From signing up to an online course to attending vocational night classes, lifelong learning can help you to build sector-specific skills. From a standing start, you can become employable in a new industry through gaining a new qualification. With different levels of qualification to complete, lifelong learning can help you progress in your new profession, improving your chances of achieving long-term career success. This development can also continue even after you’ve started in a new role.
There are four main benefits of lifelong learning. These are:
If you are committed to lifelong learning, online courses are a great way to learn new skills. Significantly cheaper than university qualifications, online courses give you access to the resources and professional support you need to learn. For example, here at ICI, we offer over 50 distance learning courses. These courses range from traditional business, law and finance courses to vocational qualifications in beauty, design, health and fitness.
Online courses are ideal for lifelong learners. They typically work by providing all resources you need on an online portal. This portal can be accessed at any time, anyplace via the internet. You will also be assigned a personal tutor. You will be given the opportunity to book meetings and study sessions with these tutors to enhance your learning experience.
Enrolling on an online course is simple. However, it is first important to ensure the provider you are enrolling with is legitimate. To do this, make sure they are accredited by a trusted body. For example, ICI is registered to the International Approval and Registration Centre (IARC).
The fastest way is to enrol online. Simply visit the page for the course you are interested in and complete a quick and secure registration form. Once you have registered and have set up a payment plan, you are ready to start learning.
Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.
Join our mailing list today and stay updated with the latest news and offers curated for you
