Although lifelong learning is not a new concept — lifelong learning has long been talked about — today it is gaining importance in three key contexts: personal development, professional career and health. In the current world, characterized by frequent and dynamic changes, the ability to learn and continue to develop can save us from adaptation difficulties, problems with disguise or deterioration of mental condition. Each of these aspects affects a different area of life, but all together they affect overall development, well-being and a sense of satisfaction.
Continuous learning and benefits for the professional situation
The modern labor market shows that technological development threatens many professions, both physical and those related to graphics or marketing. Automation and the development of innovative technologies force employees to learn and adapt faster. However, what at first glance may seem like a threat, in fact gives you the opportunity to change your professional situation.
Increasingly, there is talk of an employee's capital, which lies in long-term learning skills - understood not as a one-time goal, but as a continuous process. For the individual, this is beneficial because it supports mental health and enables better adaptation to changing working conditions. Nevertheless, the modern worker faces an additional challenge: constantly changing technology. We live in a culture of information overload, and research proves that the amount of data we absorb every day significantly exceeds our natural capabilities (The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory, 2008) The result is overwork, which leads to fatigue, burnout and reduced efficiency.
So how to learn throughout life, meeting the requirements of the modern labor market, and at the same time not get lost in an excess of information? Lifelong learning can have many benefits, but in order to truly have a positive impact on our lives, we need to learn, how to learn. And yet, rarely does anyone teach us the process of learning itself!
Formal and Informal Education Pathways
Education is associated with obtaining diplomas and certificates; this is one of the ways, sometimes facilitating learning - we see the goal, which is to close some stage and it is verified by experts in a given field. Motivating and useful, the acquired document that confirms our knowledge and skills can also be useful. However, education does not have to take place only at universities or during special training. Education can be a process that we approach individually, independently expanding our horizons and interests - especially since today the Internet gives us considerable opportunities to search for information on our own, and many of the valuable content is available, for example, in the form of lectures on Youtube. What you need to pay attention to when using online learning is certainly the ability to find yourself in online content; although the internet has spread knowledge and made learning more egalitarian, millions of people have access to it, using these resources can also be challenging. Choosing reliable, scientific sources of science can save us from the miserable effects of self-education.
What does the data show?
Education can be divided into formal (acquiring knowledge culminating in obtaining an official document, e.g. a university diploma), non-formal (organized forms of learning, such as vocational training organized by the employer or courses), and informal (independent learning process, e.g. developing interests or learning through experience).
Examination Adult Learning (Institute for Educational Research, 2020)
The most frequently chosen form of education by adult Poles is the informal one, which does not provide a document certifying the acquired competences: 50% of Poles are educated at work, and 45.6% outside it. Less popular are non-formal education (26%) and formal (only 2.5%). Most often, younger people (25-34 years), with higher education (85.9%) and professionally active (78.8%) receive further education. Young people (25-34 years old), with higher education (85.9%) and professionally active (78.8%) are the most likely to complete further education.
The dynamics of the 21st century labor market are reflected in data that show that job change is widespread; especially among younger people (18-29 years old), but also 10% of workers 50+ declare such changes. This is more often about a complete change of place of work, less often about a change of position in one company. In this context, the continuous improvement of qualifications and the acquisition of new skills becomes crucial for both the employee and the employer.
How to learn?
Being curious about the world, cultivating an “open head” state and surrounding yourself with people with similar ambitions - these aspects are identified by business coach and director of quality and training, Anna Komorek, as key in the process Lifelong Learning. In an interview for the SWPS University podcast titled. Lifelong learning, or how does continuous learning strengthen decision-making? also emphasizes the importance of motivation and self-discipline in the implementation of activities that support systematic learning.
During the conversation, the topic of age was raised, which is often a barrier to taking on new challenges, both professional and personal. Many people feel that it is too late for change or lack the courage to make unusual decisions, even if the current situation is becoming more and more uncomfortable. This is a misconception — change, although initially frightening, can bring numerous benefits, including improving mental health and opening up new career prospects. An important theme of the podcast was also a generational perspective, drawing attention to the need for the development of older generations and their activity on the labor market, especially in the context of an aging society and lower demographic in Poland.
There are many ways to learn on your own, consistently. It is worth considering how we best assimilate knowledge: by listening, watching, acting, experiencing, creating, visualizing or writing. Choosing the right method or a combination of them can become the key to educational success. Repeatability and consolidation of knowledge is also important — hierarchizing information, dividing it into categories, combining facts, defining concepts and drawing conclusions can significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of science.
summary
Lifelong learning is not only a response to the dynamic changes of the modern labor market, but also a way to maintain mental health and personal development. It is crucial to adapt learning methods to individual preferences, which allows better assimilation of information and more effective fixation. In a world full of information overload, the ability to select and consciously use reliable sources becomes as important as the acquisition of knowledge itself.
Sources
- https://web.swps.pl/strefa-zarzadzania/artykuly/25772-lifelong-learning-czyli-jak-ciagle-uczenie-sie-wzmacnia-decyzyjnosc-podcast
- Klingberg, T. (2008). The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory. Oxford University Press. Published online: October 31, 2023. Published in print: November 7, 2008.
- https://porp.pl/lifelong-learning-elementem-rynku-pracy
- https://repozytorium.ur.edu.pl/server/api/core/bitstreams/0bac4888-9a65-4486-9b6e-919535754f60/content
