Experts called lifelong learning a necessary requirement for modern professionals

In our time, the popular saying “Live and learn” sounds more relevant than ever, because in a rapidly changing world, it is knowledge, education and professional skills that play a decisive role. MK talked to Pavel Poteev, a leading expert at the Center for Training Leaders in Digital Transformation, GSSU RANEPA, to find out what requirements the modern economy dictates to professionals, why it is important to develop new educational formats, and how to balance online with the usual “live” learning.

According to the expert, today the ideal career path for many professionals is like a layer cake: study – work – study – work. But this method is difficult to manage, for the most part neither educational organizations nor employers are ready for it. The rise of the online format has helped alleviate the problem by allowing small but frequent learning quanta to be incorporated into the workflow. So, for several years now, people employed in the digital economy have been studying, in a field where knowledge quickly appears and becomes obsolete. Employees of digital companies and banks are constantly offered online courses of various duration and focus by their HR departments. They can be taken at a convenient time, at a convenient pace, even taking into account the most productive time of the day for the student.

The advantages of online formats for learning are about the same as for most other industries that have transformed and received a new vector of development through digital.

– Online, first of all, is the most powerful “means of delivery” of training formats, – Pavel Poteev notes. – By formats, I mean not only educational content (text, video, pictures, infographics, gamification), but also methods of control and assimilation, course navigation, development of educational trajectories, feedback from the curator, final certification.

Secondly, the figure helps to scale coverage: the bandwidth of any traditional educational institution is finite, while online has significantly fewer restrictions.

Thirdly, in a sense, online democratizes learning, giving potential access to speakers and professors from leading universities around the world to those who, for economic reasons, will not be able to travel to these universities, study and live while studying.

– Does this mean that online may soon replace the traditional format completely?

– I believe that in any training it is important to maintain a balance. Fundamental education is necessary for the development of horizons, the formation of basic values ​​and the very habit and skill of learning. In addition, there are elements in traditional learning that the digital format will never replace. This includes presentation skills and teamwork (develops thinking and social skills – the ability to express one’s thoughts, discuss, argue). These are the connections that are developed in the course of training and introduce the student into the professional community. There is another element that I consider central: online, the roles of a student and a mentor are often erased, who will guide him along the route of mastering disciplines, provide depth and a three-dimensional view, protect him from misconceptions, and help form a scale of personal and professional values. The role model in teaching is extremely important. It is not in vain that those who have achieved mastery always remember their teachers.

That is why, by the way, many of the world’s leading universities post their training courses online. At the same time, they will not lose in competitiveness and demand, perhaps they will only win.

Let’s get back to the value of the online format. I believe that it helps to solve one fundamental problem – it opens up access to opportunities for continuous learning and mastering new professions. There are a very large number of specialties (not all), for which five years and even four is a long time. Without contact with the real work, the student poorly understands the meaning and applicability of study. This is one of the roots of the well-known phrase “forget everything you were taught in high school.”

By turning to digital formats, students have the opportunity to learn continuously. Improve and develop your skills or learn new professions in the shortest possible time. The main thing is to carefully consider the selection of the course and choose the appropriate option, because the quality and depth of online courses for different professions is growing unevenly.

Using a few people as an example, you can see how to succeed in your career and increase your earnings after online training. For example, advertising manager Oleg from the city of Nizhny Tagil said that after the pandemic, their company, which organized conferences, first reduced the salary of its employees, and then the staff. Oleg fell under this “pandemic” reduction, like thousands of other Russians. For several months he tried to find a new job, got registered with the employment service, but none of the offered vacancies suited him. “But I didn’t want to lower the bar,” says Oleg. – It is foolish to give up if you are a professional and have a head on your shoulders. I need to provide for my family, pay for the apartment, that is, the level of salary should be adequate.” In such a desperate situation, the lifeline for the young man was a free online training program within the framework of the Employment Promotion project at the RANEPA Presidential Academy. “I applied for a specialization in Marketing and Advertising,” he continues. – I was shocked by how strong teachers there are. Communicating with them, I shoveled all my experience, got a lot of useful skills and knowledge. This baggage helped me to land on a much more serious vacancy than my position in the previous company.”

A young mother Olga from Perm, having spent more than two years on maternity leave with her daughter, after online training was able to start earning. Here is her story. As her daughter grew up, Olga began to think about work. “In terms of income, our family sank significantly, only my husband earned,” the young mother admitted. – But at the same time, I did not want to return to my previous position (as a secretary in an office with an irregular schedule). I turned to the RANEPA for advice, chose the Design and Multimedia direction, because it is close to me: I like to find unexpected angles for photos and videos. At the request of friends, she began to develop logos and corporate identity for their companies. I want to do this like a pro. Now, after completing my studies, I have a base for this, and not just a desire. Employers are actively responding.”