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    In praise of the mature learner

    Synopsis

    A 'knowledge industry' is not just about the need to 'reskill' or 'upskill' but also about the veteran professional broadening one's knowledge base. Skills are specific tools; knowledge is the machine itself. Enhancing this machine is a continuous maintenance process. With less strain, the mature learner has more to gain than his or her younger counterpart.

    In Praise of the Mature Learner
    Learning in the form of education is a necessity for the young. The more a young person is armed with knowledge and skills, the better he or she is prepared to tackle the world - the job market as well as the vast choppy seas that lap its coasts. For the adult, such learning is no longer a necessity but a value-add - either as a conscious effort to go up the value chain or as a gratifying activity that provides value enhancement as a by-product. The desperation of youth is usually missing, considering the mature learner is already on stable ground. Essentially, he or she doesn't have to get his or her foot inside the door. The stability that comes with age and experience allows him or her to learn better, deeper in a calmer environment.

    Indians usually associate education as a process that ends with college or university and the entry into the workforce. The idea of adult education is seen, at best, benevolently as a matter for the learning-deprived. This need not be the case. Getting back to learning - not the usual 'learning on the job' but via disciplines - should be sought out, rather than resorted to. Going back to college should be the go-to option as much for the mid- and top-level professional as it is for those who require upskilling or reskilling. The vague whiff of taboo that comes with the idea of adult learning, via formal or informal routes, must be removed.

    A 'knowledge industry' is not just about the need to 'reskill' or 'upskill' but also about the veteran professional broadening one's knowledge base. Skills are specific tools; knowledge is the machine itself. Enhancing this machine is a continuous maintenance process. With less strain, the mature learner has more to gain than his or her younger counterpart.

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    Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

    ...more
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