The thirst for outdoing your peers and making the optimum use of your potential to search for something better than your current circumstances, is what drives people to succeed. Getting a good job with a decent salary are no longer the parameters for a successful career, employees are aiming at upgrading their skills for better job prospects or posts in the same organisation.
Also, a team of talented and professionally equipped employees are easier to work with and thus an asset for the organisation. A well-educated workforce is both productive and flexible, adjusting to the dynamics of the market, adapting to the new trends and upgrading their own skills.
What are continuous learning programs?
Continuous professional learning includes offering employees a chance to upgrade their skills and get the required educational qualifications that would enhance their performance and contribute profitably to the organisation. Often these programs are funded by the company and also the employee gets an incentive for joining the course.
The need for continuous learning
Continuous learning is beneficial for the employer as well as the workforce. While the employee gets an opportunity for skill development, the organisation can use their skills for profit maximisation – a win-win situation for both! From small scale managers to established entrepreneurs, everyone is looking for better business prospects and educating employees in the workspace is an effective and time-saving technique to achieve it.
A study conducted by the EvoLLLution named “Lifelong Education and Labour Market Needs” reveals that 96 percent of the employees stated how continuous education improved performance while 87 percent agreed to how skill development leads to a better pay scale. Listed below are some benefits of continuous learning:
- Better career prospects for the employee
- Better pay scale and earning opportunities
- Enhanced productivity and improved performance (for the employer)
- An increase in goodwill of the company
- An educated workforce is easy to manage
- Financial incentives such as stipend to encourage people
- Tax benefits and other perks
Learning in the workplace
Discussed below are some continuous professional learning strategies:
Get a degree
Companies are now sending their employees to complete their graduation and post-graduation degrees to increase their knowledge base and skills.
- Offer subsidies in fees, or tuition incentives to encourage employees
- Enrol your workers in executive or short-term crash courses that though expensive save a lot on time
- Consider distance learning or correspondence courses for employees
- Be well connected to universities for more information on the courses available
E-learning
The wonders of the virtual world are not hidden from anyone – there are many websites that offer a variety of courses that would benefit employees. Cloud-based courseware and online assessments are a cheaper alternative to the traditional courses offering authentic certifications and degrees as well. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are another novel concept that offer students a comprehensive list of online courses. RMIT University, for example, offers six core business areas of study, you can choose between online programs in marketing, commerce, supply chain and logistics, project management, engineering management and human resources management.
How to go about it?
Learning has no age limit – employees can apply for professional courses and increase their education qualifications in ways that enhance their performance in the workspace. One such platform is Schoolapply.com that offers a comprehensive list of both undergraduate and post graduate courses in various fields such as management, finance, marketing, law, medicine and social sciences.
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