Continuing training may include intensive courses on different topics.
Continuous training is the permanent process that a person carries out to acquire new knowledge and skills . It is the practice or habit that drives constant training beyond compulsory or even formal education.
Continuing training can be associated with lifelong learning . According to this perspective, an individual's training does not end upon graduation, but updating skills and studying new topics are always essential for both personal development and professional development .
Characteristics of continuing training
The origins of lifelong learning as a concept date back to 1929 , when the British educator Basil A. Yeaxlee ( 1883 – 1967 ) published a book titled “Lifelong Education .” However, recognition of the importance of continuing to learn in adulthood already appears in the thought of Sophocles , Plato and other philosophers of Ancient Greece .
Already in the 20th century , starting with Yeaxlee and other authors, emphasis began to be placed on the need to promote learning after childhood and youth and transcending traditional educational centers. Entering the 21st century , continuous training became a widespread premise in the corporate world, especially due to technological advances that occur at enormous speed.
Videoconferencing platforms favor continuous distance training.
Related concepts
Continuing training is often associated with adult education . However, the notion goes further. The idea of continuous training is not linked to the age of the learner, but to the attitude or predisposition of not ending the training at any time.
Continuing training also has nothing to do with graduation or qualifications . Although learning can be certified or revalidated with a degree, there is knowledge that can be acquired or developed without going to an academic institution and that is valid even without giving access to a diploma.
It can be said, to simplify, that continuing education implies continuing to learn once basic or academic education has been completed . That is why we usually talk about extension education or educational extension , since it includes proposals that do not aim at a certification or that, although they grant a degree, that is not the main thing.
Continuing training includes continuing to learn even after postgraduate studies.
Importance of continuous training
The importance of continuous training is evident today. This issue is associated with the speed with which social changes occur today and the demands of the labor market .
Technological changes and globalization mean that school knowledge is no longer sufficient and that university materials are often insufficient. On the other hand, content that was valid three or five years ago may become outdated due to the context.
Faced with this reality, continuous training is required to enter, maintain or progress in the work and professional field, but also to adapt to the demands of society. In fact, understanding reality and social integration demand permanent training .
How to learn throughout life
The options for continuing training are numerous. There are proposals aimed at professional training and specialization , but also alternatives for training in soft skills , for example.
There are training centers , training institutes and professional associations that provide for continuing education. Workshops, seminars, symposiums and conferences are among the cycles and events that are usually organized.
You can differentiate between face-to-face courses and online courses , although both methodologies can be combined or complemented without problems. The advantage of distance training is that it does not require travel to a specific place and also usually favors autonomous time management. E-learning platforms (virtual learning environments) generally make teaching material available to students for consultation at any time. Thus, it is possible to learn through webinars or MOOCs (massive open online courses) managing one's own schedules according to needs.
It cannot be overlooked that continuous training is possible through self-directed learning . Unlike mentoring , coaching or tutoring, in this case the student must drive and manage the entire process. Consulting publications and magazines specialized in a topic, to mention one possibility, allows you to learn outside of academia and without external support.
Continuous training and companies
The benefits of continuous training for a worker are evident: it contributes to professional insertion and retraining and improves the possibilities of progress. However, it is important to emphasize that companies also benefit by encouraging continuous training .
Better technical training can contribute to quality and productivity. Language courses and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) training for employees are also positive for the company in general.