The importance of continuing education to improve skills

Knowledge and theacquisition of new skills are the engine of development in today’s society: this is said not only by analysts, but by the same data collected by the OECD in the “Skills Outlook 2021” report.

The information gathered shows the increasing importance in the economic landscape of “learningto learn” skills and learning strategies.

The concept of lifelong learning, or continuing education, brings numerous benefits to individuals, organizations and companies.

Continuing education not only enables people to increase their Hard Skills, but also consolidates the culture of the individual and the company, supporting businesses and employees in staying abreast of markets, technologies and the social environment.

What is meant by continuing education?

When we talk about continuing education, we mean a learning process that enables the worker to expand his or her skills so that he or she can perform his or her job more and more efficiently and access new tasks, roles and responsibilities.

Continuing education can help workers not only advance their careers, but also change the field of work by staying abreast of what is happening in the world.

Unlike the training experienced in universities and vocational courses, continuing education touches every aspect of the worker’s life, taking on the characteristics of lifelong learning, in which everything can become learning and enrich the individual.

Continuing education thus consolidates skills possessed by the worker and allows new ones to be developed through in-person training, perhaps in a company location, or online training.

How to do continuing education

Underlying the concept of lifelong learning, which is entirely about the individual, embracing every aspect of his or her professional and personal life, is a cultural attitude, which implies taking responsibility on the part of all stakeholders, including individuals.

This means that if you want to do continuing education, it is good to take the first step by embracing the concept of learning across the lifespan of the individual.

Continuing education thus departs from classical schooling and takes on formal, informal and involuntary facets through heterogeneous modes, tools, content and venues.

If the first step sees the individual as the protagonist who must, with awareness, take control of the learning path and make it a true approach to life, it is up to the companies to take the second major step, through the construction of dedicated in-person and onlinecourses tailored to their employees and managers.

Why continuing education is important for the individual

Continuing education enables people not only to update professionally, but also to acquire new knowledge and soft skills, the so-called Soft Skills, useful for staying abreast of changes in the world of work, social, cultural and economic, enhancing their job role with a view to the future as well.

Adequate continuing education keeps the curriculum current, and supports career advancement by increasing the responsibilities to be handled.

Moreover, the acquisition of new knowledge ensures that the individual builds up a personal cultural background that can enrich his or her ideas and perspectives in a continuous and fruitful comparison with the outside world.

Why continuing education is important for companies

Continuing education offers companies the opportunity to rely on employees and managers who are constantly updated in an ever-changing job market.

Through workers who are trained and ready for the challenges posed by technological innovation and social and cultural changes, companies can remain competitive and aim to grow continuously and steadily.

People with strong personal and professional backgrounds ensure that companies are more resilient to change and have a flexible, open and creative approach to problem solving.

Continuing education can also be part of company benefits, making the company particularly attractive to young talent.

Increased employee motivation and satisfaction are often accompanied by better team performance and increased employee retention, resulting in an improved corporate image.

In conclusion, continuing education is now an essential element to consider in building one’s professional career because it allows one to remain competent, competitive and abreast of change.

Just like the individual worker, companies also have a duty to provide good continuing education for their employees so that they can maintain a high level of service and be able to meet the ever-changing challenges posed by the labor market.

Phyd provides its members with numerous experts: through discussion with a coach, the individual can increase awareness of his or her Skills and identify the most appropriate growth and career path.