South Africa celebrates Youth Day on the 16th of June. At this time, let us take the opportunity to help our country’s youth gear up to embrace the new world of work that is emerging now and paving the way for how things will be done in the future. They say that you are only young once and inevitably this is true. Yet, there is no doubt that today’s youth face certain challenges as well as opportunities that didn’t exist as little as 10 years ago. In South Africa, the return of regular load shedding has made it that much more difficult for anyone who is studying, let alone the youth. The recent pandemic has given rise to online learning opportunities never seen before with all kinds of concepts springing up all over the Internet and taking education and training to a whole new level.
The workplace has changed dramatically in the last three years, with remote and hybrid work gaining traction during and post the pandemic, and as people are coming to grips with these changes they are faced with yet another reversal currently taking place as 2023 kicked in, with less people working from home and hybrid working arrangements becoming the norm. The youth are entering a new world of work that bears little resemblance to the systems and structures that were in place only 5 years ago.
What exactly is lifelong learning?
Lifelong learning involves actively and consistently pursuing both formal and informal education and training, whether for career development, personal development, or both.
What are the benefits of lifelong learning?
Whether someone is pursuing marketable skills or seeking the kind of fulfillment that comes from acquiring knowledge on a particular subject or improving a certain skill, there are many benefits to adopting a mindset of lifelong learning. For instance, taking charge of this vital aspect of one’s life goes a long way towards improving self-confidence. This in itself can take someone to a whole new level. A lifelong learning approach strengthens memory and gives a person that sense of achievement that increases self-esteem and raises one’s happiness levels to greater heights.
Teaching the Youth to adopt a mindset of lifelong learning
When it comes to helping people to build good habits, the good news is that adopting a growth mindset is one that can be cultivated. To become a lifelong learner, one needs to nurture a combination of natural curiosity about the world we live in and life in general and acquire a level of discipline towards building learning into daily routines. Here are our top tips on how to develop a lifelong learning mindset.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Good health and learning always sit well together. Maintaining both physical and mental health gives a person more energy, space, and creativity, setting the stage for better learning experiences. Building play into the learning schedule also helps to promote learning by stimulating the entire body and embedding a memory of the learning experience into the nervous system.
Make reading part of daily routines
While it might seem obvious, there is a wealth of knowledge and experience to be gained from reading books. If someone is already an avid reader, learning how to speed read is always a good idea. Those who have not embraced regular reading as a habit will benefit by swapping screen time, whether it be social media interactions, television, or gaming, for a book. This habit can be gradually introduced and increased through regular discipline.
Learn from those who have already walked the path
As with any educational pursuit, learning happens as a result of active listening, observing, and absorbing the information. Hence, a great way to learn is to pay attention to what those who have already walked the path have to say.
See education and training as an investment
While we live in a world where the cost of living keeps rising, a sense of comfort can be achieved through knowing that everyone is indeed in the same boat, sailing on the same seas. Investing in education and training despite rising costs is something that everyone needs to come to grips with and knowing that money spent on skills development is money well spent will help to cushion the blow.
Maintain a focus on effort as opposed to achievement
Striving for perfectionism at every turn can make learning any new skill seem rather daunting. Yet, we learn by failing and rising beyond these failures when we realise that failing forward is the way to go. Emphasising effort, as opposed to achievement, removes the pressure of striving to be perfect at every turn.
Be smart and set SMART goals
Without a plan, any goal is merely part of a wish list. Setting goals by following the SMART principles means that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Following the SMART principles when learning ensures that goals are manageable and on track.
At BOTI, we offer a wide range of short skills programs including computer skills critical to workplace success, learnerships and qualifications that young people can leverage to enhance their resumes and develop their talents. Our Elearning platform is also an easily-accessible, user-friendly and extremely affordable way to start learning those critical skills that today’s workplace demands. Let’s help our youth of today tackle the challenges of tomorrow through skills development and encouraging a mindset of lifelong learning. This is where the journey begins – get in touch with us now.
Reference sources: ceomagazine.com
