Continuous education is the answer to a society that is constantly changing. To remain professionally agile, we should constantly be looking to learn and gain new skills. Improving yourself, staying current and moving up in your profession or switching sectors is what comes from investing in your education. All this is possible with a lifelong learning attitude which helps to boost morale, professional engagement, ambition and a sense of self-worth.
At EHL, we have numerous online short courses to develop skills that help to further the learning journey. "The only thing that is constant is change," Heraclitus famously stated, so why not aim to progress in your work, grow in your personal life and climb up in your organization? Continuous education is one of the most efficient strategies to deal with change and to instil a sense of growth and ambition.
Each profession and organization should aim to continuously improve, whether it's in the development of critical thinking, multicultural interaction, IT know-how, leadership management.... the list is endless. If you stop learning, you risk stagnating and becoming irrelevant.
Here is a guide to everything you need to know about continuing education for career advancement.
The definition of continuous learning
Sometimes referred to as 'lifelong learning', this is an educational term that refers to the "ongoing, voluntary and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. It is important for an individual's competitiveness and employability, but it also enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development", Wikipedia.
Continuous learning helps employees and employers gain know-how and new abilities while they work by retraining and upskilling. It's a way to ensure that teams and individuals develop new skills to increase productivity, performance and also job satisfaction. Continuous learning helps you and your business thrive, whether you want to upskill or adopt bi-annual 360-degree assessments.
A poor work infrastructure and heavy workload can discourage mayn of today's professionals from embracing change. Luckily, more and more educational establishments like ours are using cutting-edge tools and technology to improve remote learning, allowing full-time professionals to take online short courses. Online learning has quickly adapted to offer certificates, degrees, master's degrees, and even PhDs. The short courses at EHL are aimed at people who are professionally motivated and open to new experiences.
This is especially crucial in business, tech, marketing and finance, where workers must learn new skills on a regular basis - often while still juggling the job. For instance, online Accounting courses prepare applicants for the CPA exam while working. These programs teach ethics, financial statements and auditing. It's a smart strategy to stay competitive without quitting work for a full-time on-site education course.
These courses also include soft skills, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Improved soft skills help professionals develop better working relationships and encourage teams to achieve their goals collectively.
The advantages of continuous learning
Being a perpetual learner has numerous advantages. As the world continues to uncover new ideas and technology, professionals who do not keep up with modern competencies, even after graduating from college, risk falling behind.
According to a Gallup 2021 analysis, 48 percent of American employees would transfer jobs if granted skills training, and 65 percent of workers consider that employer-provided upskilling is indeed very significant when assessing possible new employment. Employers that encourage employees to keep learning gain the most. You get a whole new lot of skillsets you never had with the same staff without any new hires. So it is a win-win for both the employee and the employer.
Here are some of the benefits of continuous learning for career advancement:
1. Maintain your relevance
Don't let yourself or your business down. Maintain your relevance in your industry by staying current with trends and adjusting your skillsets. To stay relevant in today's quickly shifting technological environment, you must constantly master new skills. Be it hotel management or business management.
2. Increase your visibility
When you're constantly learning, you continue to improve, advance in your job and begin to obtain referrals from coworkers and supervisors. You'll probably change positions several times throughout your life, and you'll need to acquire new capabilities to stay attractive. As an employer, your company becomes highlighted, and many people want to become associated with your organization since you are offering training and education that betters the worker.
3. Stay agile
Continuous learning will assist you in adapting to unanticipated changes, such as losing your job and having to rely on new abilities to obtain work. You'll be more comfortable stepping out of your safety zone and taking on new employment chances if you keep learning.
4. Shift your viewpoint
Learning new abilities will open up new doors and assist you or your business in finding out-of-the-box solutions to difficulties. Having an agile, trained mind can help with both logical and creative problem-solving. By expanding on what you currently know, lifelong learning widens your perspective and alters your outlook.
5. Gain more confidence
Acquiring new abilities gives a feeling of accomplishment, which boosts self-esteem. You'll also feel more encouraged to take on new duties and start new business ventures, whether as a person or as a corporation. You'll feel more prepared to take on new tasks or opportunities if you know you've acquired skills to advance in your profession.
6. Grow to inspire
Lifelong improvement helps you build your leadership qualities, which then transcends into inspiring others to continue their education. As a result, your working environment may improve. Our Coaching and Mentoring courses can help improve your encouragement abilities.
7. Encourage career advancement
Mastering new talents leads to career advancements outside of your present role. It demonstrates your commitment to working diligently, improving yourself, and remaining competitive in the field, making you are more useful to your present employer and more attractive to future recruiters if you're searching. With better hospitality or team management skills, for example, you could increase your earnings.
8. New or updated credentials and certificates
Lifelong learning can help you remain on course and updated in your career if you need to do frequent training to get or renew certifications or distinctions. It's the same for companies, you may acquire a new license if you and your team keep learning.
9. Equip your employees for management roles
Be ready for some staff wanting to consider taking on a leadership position in your firm as you urge them to set attainable learning goals. Continuous learning has the advantage of allowing your staff to consistently develop their skillsets, thereby preparing them for a higher role within your company.
10. Increase productivity and retention
Being content and assertive leads to increased production, which benefits the organization. This can affect both the length of time people stay at a firm and the firm's success. Currently, many HR managers face a huge difficulty in employee retention. Today's business environment is becoming increasingly competitive, and many businesses are finding themselves in circumstances where key personnel is being poached by competitors. Establishing a culture of learning is one method to boost employee retention. Your staff is more likely to attain personal achievement if you offer a robust learning and development program. When you let an employee feel valued and rewarded in their job, you build loyalty. Continuous learning efforts can enable your group members to reach their full potential.
Overall, constant learning can assist your company and individual employees in scaling tremendous growth and achieving professional success. At EHL, we offer you short courses that will advance your career to new heights. Check out both the Lausanne and Singapore campuses, for a course that can inspire you to grow and reach new professional heights.
