October is traditionally the month of Homecoming to U.S. colleges and universities. It is also the month when most college students truly settle into the semester routine and prepare to tackle midterms.
Vault recently celebrated our 5th Annual Vault U. Homecoming. An annual celebration of our team and the opportunity to connect, there are educational sessions available to all team members. We pair the sessions with a quarterly meeting and Homecoming-themed celebrations. A Vaulter favorite is competing in our (paper) football game.
Blog: It’s Homecoming SZN!
After we cleaned up the confetti that showered our football champion and took time to reflect on this year’s Vault U. event, I’m reminded that as people move past higher education and into the workforce, the learning never stops. We learn on the job (OJT!) as well as through seminars, conferences, and the often dreaded “in-house training”. Those of us with certifications eye October with some discomfort as our end-of-year reporting deadline looms ahead!
Continuing education for those of us in the workforce is best applied evenly over time, however many people experience theirs in fits and starts. After all, deadlines are important, opportunities occur, and catastrophes happen. These situations require, if not demand, our attention, and energy. How can we keep continuing education, ahem, continuous?
Is it as easy as earmarking time regularly, making it sacred and untouchable on our calendars, and putting in the work? If it was that easy, there wouldn’t be much of a topic for this blog. Maybe you’ve tried this for yourself. Did it work for a little while and then fall off? Don’t worry, you are NOT alone!
Should bosses, leaders, supervisors, etc. block time for their team members to focus on their continuing education? Whose responsibility is it to ensure enough time is dedicated to staying current?
Answer: Everyones.
Regardless of your role in your organization, continuing education for yourself and those around you is a responsibility you share! Hold each other accountable by blocking time, sharing educational session registration information, and inviting your colleagues to attend courses with you. Talk about what you’ve learned and how you plan to apply it.
Continuing education is contagious, the good kind of contagious!
