A long life for lifelong learning

Those of us who work in education have much to celebrate. Numerous studies have shown that the pace of technological change and the speed at which the world of work and society are evolving will require all of us to train and study throughout our lives.

In our sector of management training, we are doubly convinced: we know that the companies and entrepreneurs that thrive are characterized by their ability to constantly adapt, based on continuous talent development. And that it all starts with a solid base, with the ability to develop critical thinking and capacity for analysis, as well as the habits and values that prepare us to keep growing over time.

But to manage what the future of work has in store for us, it’s no longer enough to periodically update the skills that we cultivated early in our lives. We must switch to a mindset – and practice – of learning that will span the entirety of our lives.

This is where lifelong learning comes in. It’s an educational approach which, supported by technology and new consumption habits of individuals, responds to the reality of non-stop change and to personal learning moments, be they professional or otherwise.

HIGHLY PERSONAL. Lifelong learning represents an evolution in traditional training, until now based on shared pedagogical journeys, toward more personalized learning journeys for each person. This shift carries with it a considerable increase in training opportunities on offer, and we as educational institutions will have to rise to the challenge of understanding the needs of each individual and guiding them toward the type of training they need in every moment of their professional development. Sometimes those needs will be structured and will correspond to a knowledge set similar to what today comprises a course – the basics of corporate finance, for example – but other times those needs will be more specific – such as how to read a balance sheet or prepare a pitch for investors. Lifelong learning must be capable of answering to these differing levels of depth and immediacy.

DIGITAL… OR NOT. Lifelong learning is strongly linked to the trend of consuming content on demand, but this does not mean that all continuous learning must be done in digital formats.

The true potential of lifelong learning will be fulfilled when we’re able to take advantage of the full power of artificial intelligence and big data to curate content and resolve individually the wide variety of training needs that people may face over the course of their lives.

Algorithms are already able to identify with a large degree of precision the gaps in curriculum vitae in talent selection processes. Why not take advantage of the potential of this same technology to take a step further and start recommending training for the next professional challenge? Recommendations could take a wide range of formats: from completely virtual and pre-prepared content designed for asynchronous individual learning, to totally in-person and tailored options, such as coaching sessions or discussions with peers in a sector-based forum.

MULTI-FORMAT LEARNING. In this new context, classic training represented by programs that tend to be longer and more structured will continue to play a key role in the development of executive and professional education. At the same time, this will co-exist with other formats, often times more brief and intense, oriented toward concrete or specific needs according to the career moment. The success of lifelong learning lies in the coexistence of formats and in being able to design concrete plans on when and what is useful to learn at each moment. We know that an early-career professional does not have the same needs as a mid-career executive, or a person jumping sectors as someone taking on a new role in the same company. We won’t want the same types of training solutions when we are travelling or working remotely as when we have the possibility of meeting with other people.

Just like all the big changes that digital transformation has brought, lifelong learning will require time for everyone – educational institutions, suppliers, platforms and even learners themselves – to grow accustomed to it.

Regardless, lifelong learning will exist alongside traditional training and will enrich it -- and it’s here to stay. Long live lifelong learning!