LIFELONG LEARNING
How can digital lifelong learning prepare you for the future of work ?
You ’ ve probably learnt a new skill over the past year without even thinking about it . Maybe you ’ ve learnt a new language , taken up a hobby , or learnt to use a new piece of equipment or software at work .
Learning new skills is a great way to build your resilience as a worker or job seeker in the labour market both today , and the future months and years ahead .
Retraining or upskilling is the process by which you acquire these new skills to take on a new job or career path . There is no ‘ one size fits all ’ when it comes to this process . It can take place on the job , in a classroom , on a computer , or even on your smartphone while you commute . It can take 5 minutes of your day , or maybe 30 . It could lead to a specific role , or be a broad introduction into workplace skills applicable to lots of different jobs .
Nesta , the UK ’ s innovation agency , has been developing upskilling and retraining opportunities over the past year through the CareerTech Challenge Fund . In partnership with the Department for Education , Nesta has focussed on how technology can play a role in providing learning opportunities for people who are looking for life-long learning opportunities that support career development . We ’ ve funded a variety of organisations to build new online learning platforms to do just that .
We ’ ve learnt a lot about what makes a great digital learning course along the way , and these lessons can help you to find the right learning opportunities for you :
Learning new skills is a great way to build your resilience as a worker or job seeker in the labour market both today , and the future months and years ahead .
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There is no ‘ one size fits all ’ digital course . Think about not just what you want to learn , but how you want to learn . Do you prefer bite-size lessons that you can do quickly , or would you prefer to sit down and focus for a few solid hours ? Do you learn best by listening , reading or playing ?