Lifelong learning is the concept of learning that you get beyond the classroom. It essentially involves selective skill building in the area of interest of an individual. It could be in the form of personal development, taking up a certification course in a less formal setting, taking up free courses online, or going old school by reading books.Â
In this article, we have covered everything you will need to know about lifelong learning.
What is lifelong learning?
Definition of lifelong learning would be that it is a broad term for education that is received beyond school and graduation years. It is voluntary and not compulsory. Lifelong learning is completely self-motivated and the ultimate goal here is self-improvement and development.
The Approach For Lifelong Learning
There are various approaches to lifelong learning. It could either be formal training or something less-structured. There are provisions for coaching or guided instruction across domains and different subjects or it could be self-taught learning.
Also, in our daily interactions with peers, we learn a lot in terms of knowledge, skills, behaviour, and professional attitude. It also falls under the category of lifelong learning.
Examples of Lifelong Learning
The world we live in provides ample learning opportunities in our day to day lives. Although, there are times when our need to learn is driven by an end goal, mostly in the area of career development. Some of the examples of lifelong learning in such cases are:
- Internships
- Vocational courses
- Certification courses
- Taking up new skills
- Learning about a new technology
- Developing software skills
- Learning a new sport, a music instrument, or developing any other talent
- Adding to your current skill set to perform better at work
- Learning from the environment
These are just some examples and by no mean an exhaustive list of lifelong learning examples. Any attempt to actively build your skills falls under the category of lifelong learning.
Benefits of lifelong learning
As the workplace becomes more and more diverse and complex, employers are realising that formal qualifications are not the sole aspect to identify desirable employees. The experiences, practical knowledge, updated skills, and overall personality and aura also add to the portfolio of the desired employee. Lifelong learning ensures that professionals continue to grow and develop in their respective fields and it shows their desire to do the same.
There are various benefits of lifelong learning as mentioned below:
- Develop transferable skills
- Improve your employability and prospects of promotion
- Better earning opportunities
- Broaden your knowledge base and skillset
- Fill open jobs in the market
- Personal and professional satisfaction
- Contribute more to the community
Great Learning provides a range of structured certification programs across technical subjects and management programs. On the other hand, the Great Learning Academy is an open platform for interested professionals to sign up and take free short courses in various technical and non-technical subjects.
