Lifelong Learning

I'm Nicki, one of the team here at Moving ON Training and this is my first blog on our site, so 'hello' from me.

I'm writing today on the importance of life-long learning, especially in this age where information is so readily available and change is so rapid. Gone are the cruisey (and not so cruisey) days when the only education you received was between the ages of 4 and 21....these days, to be ahead of the game you've got to make education a lifelong process.

To stay current and happening in today's workforce you need to continually improve and update your skills and knowledge, be aware of new practices and theories in your field of work and most importantly, be able to adapt to and embrace the technological changes that are happening all around us at an unbelievable pace. A lack of knowledge will hinder your professional and personal growth, that's why it's so important to commit to lifelong learning to really prosper in your own continuous self-improvement. - both personally AND professionally.

While formal and structured education is still the cornerstone of learning, with the mighty world wide web as part of our everyday lives, access to learning and professional development has never been easier! There are literally thousands of courses that can be undertaken online and via correspondence, web based tutorials and study groups, online education portals and self-paced training sites like our own Moving ON Training. These all provide millions of people with access to education, making lifelong learning a feature of living in today's world.

Web based and online learning is becoming an increasingly popular mode of professional development among healthcare workers as it offers a degree of flexibility not seen up until now. Being able to log-on to your personalised learning programme at any time of day or night, at home or at work allows healthcare workers to study at their own pace. In an industry where shift-work is the norm, it’s a huge bonus for managers and administrators not to have to go through the logistical nightmare of having to gather all their staff together for a face to face or TV training session, coupled with having to provide cover for those attending the session. There are so many subjects that really don't warrant the expense and hassle of face-to-face training, so by simply enrolling everyone into an online training module you've covered all your bases and kept your workforce happy!

Particularly among aged care workers, on-going professional development is essential to the provision of first-rate aged care, both in the community and in residential facilities. It promotes good practice and contributes to the quality of care for our older Australians resulting in the best possible client outcomes. Call me controversial, but consistent, continuous and measurable training/education would, in my opinion, go a long way to assist the prevention of some of the awful things that have (alledgedly) been happening recently in certain residential homes for our older Australians. :-(

Lifelong learning : it's necessary, accessible and should be part of our lives!