A letter to those who have just received their results:

Pack up your books, throw away your calculators; the dreaded exam results day has been and gone and now you can look forward to the rest of your life free from lessons. Or can you? I’m sorry to have to break this to you but life is a journey and if you’re going to make anything of it then it is one of continual learning.

Luckily for you though as you have grown and progressed from ABCs and 123s the world of work has also grown up. Those of us who are fairly well on in our careers remember with a shudder the attempts at formal learning in years gone by; sitting in a cold and draughty room as an outside ‘expert’ who knew nothing about our organisation lectured us on some aspect of our jobs which had little relevance and which we would be unable to put into practice.

Inevitably those attempts at training were delivered in accordance to a timetable known and understood only by shadowy HR or training people who understood little about what our jobs really entailed. But the annual appraisal said we needed development and we were going to be ‘developed’ regardless of the fact that six months had passed or we were now working in a new role.

Training has moved on

Now, before we put you off the idea of work altogether, let us stress that that was then and this is now and the world of training has moved on exponentially. Yes there are still some classroom sessions, but they are delivered as one element of an overall blended learning structure. So you might also find yourself watching a DVD, browsing online, carrying out interactive quizzes or development sessions, receiving one-to-one coaching or working on a group project which is designed to boost your skills….

… And the learning you receive isn’t going to be delivered when it is too late but as and when you need it.

 … And it’s up to you to define what learning you require; perhaps in conjunction with your team leader but certainly not imposed by an unknown and unknowing third-party.

… And best of all what you learn is not confined to what you need to carry out your immediate task.

Today’s world of work looks towards collaboration and innovation in order to deliver great outcomes and great customer experiences. Those who work in today’s world therefore need a holistic view of their organisation in order to help them to better contribute to the development of great solutions. They will be helped to develop team and communication skills, learn problem-solving techniques and be encouraged to step outside their comfort zone, to question and to experiment.

You’ve worked hard to get where you are today but this is only the beginning of your journey. The changes which those of us who are already in the workforce have seen over the last decade or so are only the start. But it is a start to an interactive and involving story in which you will play your part. Well done on your results, now let’s create the future.