It’s a fast-paced world out there. AI, remote work, and other technological-driven changes mean the modern workplace is changing more rapidly. Of course, with changes coming faster than ever — the skills and knowledge required to navigate them are in high demand. 

According to a study by IBM, more than 120 million workers in the world’s largest economies may need to be retrained/reskilled due to AI-enabled automation. In the same study, IBM also says the half-life of skills is shrinking, while the time it takes to close a skills gap has ballooned. This means that to stay competitive, workers need to add more skills than ever before, while the time it takes to gain those skills continues to increase. 

It’s a fact more employers are embracing. Major companies like Google have replaced college education requirements on some of their job postings with skills-based requirements like online certificate programs. According to Harvard Business Review, skills requirements rather than degree requirements will only rise in popularity in 2024.  

All of this to say, staying competitive as an organization and attractive to employers as an individual has never been more important. Continuous learning is the process of consistently developing and enhancing one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Unlike traditional education with a determined endpoint, continuous learning is a career or lifelong endeavor. As the world continues to change more rapidly, those who embrace continuous learning can make themselves and their organizations more valuable and successful. Let’s dive into all of the reasons why. 

Continuous Learning Helps You…

Adapt to Change

As businesses and nonprofit organizations adopt new technology, methodologies, and processes to remain competitive, continuous learning helps you remain an integral piece of the workforce. 

Become More Productive and Efficient

Adding skills can mean working more efficiently or finding new, more efficient ways to work. For example, taking a course on leadership and management can give you the knowledge and skills to lead a better-performing team. 

Lead 

Speaking of leadership, continuous learning also allows you to champion new skills, techniques, or other knowledge in your organization, spurring innovation and creating a competitive advantage. 

Become More Attractive to Employers

If you’re hoping to switch employers or move up in your current organization, continuous learning shows that you’re an employee who’s not complacent. Organizations that want to cultivate a growth-oriented minded workforce will be happy to add employees focused on continuous learning. Plus, new skills or certifications may help your resume stand out. 

Gain Confidence and Personal Fulfillment

The sense of pride that comes along with continuous learning can improve your confidence in the workplace. Rather than avoiding new tools or technology, you’ll be able to leverage them to their fullest potential. This will allow you to reach goals and work more quickly and confidently. 

How Continuous Learning Helps Organizations 

Group training is a great way for leaders to shift culture, create a more productive workforce, and help their employees advance their careers. While many businesses encourage employees to pursue continuous learning on their own, doing it as an organization can ensure that it’s approached in a coordinated manner. 

Instills a More Driven Culture

Offering continuous learning as an organization will help attract ambitious and curious employees, both of which are often great traits in a workforce. Continuous learning or upskilling can also inspire current employees to continue to pursue education opportunities. The more educated employees are, the more valuable they are to your organization. 

Happier Employees

Offering or placing employees in continuous learning opportunities such as certification courses or off-site training shows that their employer is vested in their development and growth. From an employee perspective, this signals job security and that they work for a competitive employer. 

Business Agility 

Businesses with employees who are constantly upskilling, adding more skills, and adopting new technologies create a workforce that can easily adapt to future changes and pivot to more relevant opportunities. 

More Productive and Efficient Workforce

In the same way that individuals can become more productive and efficient after embracing continuous learning, so can entire departments or organizations. Imagine your department continuously trained in health and safety. This may help decrease workplace incidents, resulting in increased overall employee happiness, reduced downtime, and improved productivity.

Identifying Opportunities for Continuous Learning 

There are seemingly endless benefits to continuous learning for individuals and organizations, but identifying and gaining those skills takes a concentrated effort. Here are some tips on how to find the right skills for your career and organization. 

• Talk to Industry Professionals - Find out what other companies and workers value in employees and where they believe your industry is headed. 
• Research Job Postings - Websites like LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed contain countless job postings. Those job postings include all of the skills, certifications, and more employers value in their employees right now. 
• Review Industry Reports - Consulting firms, such as McKinsey or Deloitte, publish industry reports. These reports may offer valuable insights into your industry, providing an opportunity to ascertain what skills are on the rise and which are becoming less valuable. 
• Follow Industry News - Start reading major publications, listening to podcasts, and attending webinars or seminars. Take note when relevant skills are a common topic. 

Continuous Learning With EMU PPAT

At EMU Professional Programs & Training, we provide practical, relevant, and timely professional development programs to help your organization or yourself engage in the continuous learning you need to remain competitive in the ever-changing workplace. Browse our courses built for busy professionals in education, healthcare, health & safety, human resources, leadership & management, cybersecurity, and more.