The ‘100-year life’ is fast becoming a reality. Scientific and medical breakthroughs now mean around half of those aged 20 today are expected to live to 100 (Deloitte, 2018).
Such advances have sparked an ongoing, self-initiated desire to learn beyond a formal educational institute; a concept known as lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning is motivated out of personal interest or professional development and doesn’t always require a cost. Acquiring new knowledge in line with developing a new skill, reading a study, or using new technologies, are all examples of lifelong learning.
An attitude to constantly grow and learn prolongs an active life via cognitive health and enhanced social mobility; it also gives competitive advantages to those who foster it. With COVID-19 intensifying the likelihood and impact of redundancy, commitment to lifelong learning can also increase a candidate’s employability.
So, what are some of the lifelong learning practices and platforms that can be useful in our fast-paced professional world we live in?
Languages:
Learning a new language either for work or pleasure is all the more achievable with the launch of platforms such as Babbel, Duolingo and Rosetta Stone offering free and paid options. Learning a new language has been linked to enhanced problem solving and creative thinking skills and can even improve memory. Perfecto!
Health and Wellbeing:
A commitment to health and personal wellbeing has been shown to decrease workplace stress, enhance sleep and restoration, and sharpen thinking. Mental health is key to a healthy body and mind and there are some great free and paid options to help learn mental wellness strategies including meditations, breathing exercises, and guided relaxation – all in the comfort of your own home.
Some of our favourite apps and platforms are: Insight Timer, which has a personal and workplace platform for individuals and employees; Headspace which has also partnered with popular streaming service Netflix to deliver Headspace Unwind You Mind which allows viewers to choose their own mindfulness adventures based on their mood; and Calm, the number one app for sleep and meditation.
Long and Short Form Studies:
Returning to university in the pursuit of knowledge can be impractical for most. Yet as the need to maintain a competitive edge and stay ahead of the curve is expected, there has been a sharp rise in the uptake of online programs that allow you to study from anywhere at your own pace.
For those who want to explore a range of subjects, platforms like Udemy delivers more than 155,000 video courses on career and personal skills, and gives access to top industry instructors across the world, while Coursera curates the best free and paid classes with recognised qualifications from leading universities around the world.
Anyone with an interest in learning creative skills should check out Skillshare, with hundreds of classes from creating TikTok videos to learning illustration, graphic design and animation.
If learning from celebrities is more your thing, then MasterClass is the platform for you. A monthly subscription gives you access to hundreds of classes from high-profile people like Gordon Ramsay. Dr. Jane Goodall, Alicia Keys, Natalie Portman, Anna Wintour, James Cameron and Timbaland.
But what about professional development in the realm of marketing? While marketeers don’t have the same professional licensure renewal structures some professions require to keep up to date with new developments in the industry, the world of marketing is vast and fast-paced and staying current can be extremely challenging. The skills that served a marketing professional even five years ago can feel redundant today.
So how do we stay up-to-date and relevant in such a rapidly evolving profession?
Over the years, the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) has listened to its members and consulted educational experts to help bridge the skills gap in marketing that was appearing.
The result is the newly revamped Certified Practicing Marketeer (CPM) program available to AMI members to foster the pursuit of knowledge and equip marketing professionals with the practical skills they need to thrive in their careers.
The Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) designation is the only peak professional benchmark of its kind for Marketeers in the Asia-Pacific Region. The CPM title officially recognises both formal education and the successful application of your marketing knowledge and skills in practise. Key to the success of CPM is its focus on the professional development of marketers through structed and unstructured programs taken each year.
“People want to engage in continual personal and professional learning to be adaptable and flexible in their careers in order to stay competitive and relevant,” said Andrew Thornton, Non Executive Director & Deputy Chair of the Australian Marketing Institute.
“We can all be considered lifelong learners, given we all have a natural drive to explore, learn and grow in our daily lives. Today there is so much technology at our fingertips that can help us progress our abilities.”
“Where at one time a ‘one-time shot’ at university was considered the norm, the idea of positive and ongoing attitudes to learning at every stage of a person’s life and career is now expected. This is why AMI prides itself on offering some of the country’s best marketing and communications training programs, including our CPM program,” said Andrew.
CPM helps professionals stay up to date in the fast-changing world of marketing and also gives them credibility and standing in the industry. Both are essential for long-term career success. Click here to learn more about the Certified Practising Marketer certification.
Cristian Herrera
Marketing Coordinator
Australian Marketing Institute
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