24 Feb 2016

Learning Does Not Stop Just Because School Does

Article on - Learning Does Not Stop Just Because School Does

“Learning never ends.” “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” “Learning never exhausts the mind.”

We’ve all heard phrases to this extent countless times. If such age-old words are not enough to nudge you towards upgrading yourself, we hope this article is.

Why should we shun away from opportunities to upgrade ourselves? Did our pre-tertiary or tertiary education not cover all we needed to know of the working world?

Identifying Gaps between Work and School
If you are a working professional, you are well aware that our diplomas and degrees – while beneficial – did not fully prepare us for our careers. Even internships are not accurate representations of a full-fledged job. School may have equipped us with people management, time management, and communication skills, but the workplace demands a lot more than what school has prepared us for.

At work, you need to develop an awareness of how departments outside of yours function. Understanding other specialisations enables you to make sense of workflows, and as a result allows you to better establish timelines, implement plans, and execute tasks. You are also required to develop a multi-faceted understanding of your industry in order to ride on trends and keep up with competitors.

More Opportunities alongside Economy Changes
Workplace demands will only increase in complexity as we progress in our careers, and as we witness industrial shifts and economy changes. This makes it important – almost critical – to constantly upgrade ourselves with new skills. According to an article by the World Economic Forum, technological advances in the next five years will require sales and manufacturing PMETs to develop skills such as technological literacy. 

Thankfully for workers in Singapore, there are opportunities aplenty for those who want to better themselves. One such example is the SkillsFuture Credit scheme which helps to offset the cost of course fees – a privilege that people of past generations would have never imagined to receive. There are also various educational institutions around the island catered to learners of all ages and professions. Whether it is a full-time or part-time diploma or degree, or a professional certificate, one would find a learning programme to suit their interests.

Adopt a Pro-Active Mind
In a bid to offer their presence to those seeking learning opportunities, educational providers will gather at the JobsCentral Career and Education Fair (JCEF) this year. They include Kaplan Singapore, TMC Academy, Informatics Academy and Ngee Ann Adelaide Education Centre. Each has its own suite of unique offerings, whether it is to do with Business Studies, Information Technology, Mass Communication or Psychology (among many others). Some courses you can enquire about at JCEF itself can be found in this list.

Before we conclude, remember that the pace of developments in the coming decade will be fast, and that change will not wait for us. We all need to be pro-active in upskilling in order to meet future demands of the workplace. However, in spite of rapid change and uncertainty, one thing remains a constant – the fact that “learning never ends”.


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Update as of 8th April 2016


[‎8/‎4/‎2016 3:20 PM] Julailah Wahid:
We would like to thank all those who visited our annual JobsCentral Career and Education Fair and made it a success. 

For more course listings, click here.