Study a key to success

Workers are going back to the classroom to get the qualifications and knowledge they need, writes CareerOne Editor Cara Jenkin.

Tougher competition for jobs and an increasing need for a specialised workforce is pushing workers to undertake further study to get ahead in the workforce.

Workers are choosing to study for a degree, diploma or certificate specifically to complement their experience in the workplace or add to their existing qualification in order to keep their career moving forward.

TAFE SA had 3594 students in 2009 who were gaining a qualification so they could try to gain a promotion in their workplace.

Adelaide’s three universities have noticed many students are already in the workforce and are upskilling by studying a postgraduate degree related to their profession.

University of South Australia career services team leader Troy Dobinson says career goals and lifestyles change during an employee’s working life and study can be a way to adapt to their new needs.

“Everybody has a different set of circumstances. Some are losing motivation and want to do something completely different,” he says.

He says changes in the economy and labour market can make workers consider what they need to do to get ahead in the workforce. An economic downturn or company downsizing can lead to workers returning to study to fulfil an alternative lifelong career dream or find employment in a more buoyant industry.

Low unemployment can make the competition tougher and workers with greater qualifications and a higher education are often preferred.

Many industries, from mining to nursing, require workers with qualifications to ensure they already have the skills required.

TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute managing director David Royle says five per cent of its students statewide nominated “to gain a promotion” as their reason for studying their course.

He says a diploma, advanced diploma or certificate, which are offered through TAFE, is often the ideal qualification for workers to advance their careers and can be provided through flexible study options.

“The benefits of TAFE SA study include positive employment outcomes, industry-relevant training, flexible study options, realistic entry requirements, affordable training and clear pathways to university,” he says.

“TAFE SA studies are flexible enough to work around other commitments, offering as much or as little study as students need. Study options such as full-time or part-time, on campus, online, by distance or in the workplace are possible for a range of courses.”

Workers can study further to improve their career outlook while remaining in the workforce. The Australian Work Life Index 2009 shows the pursuit of further study is one of the main reasons why workers ask their boss for a more flexible working environment. It reveals 15.5 per cent of workers want hours which allow them to go to university or TAFE, slightly more than the 15.3 per cent of workers who want working arrangements to suit their childcare needs.

Mr Dobinson says many employers see the benefit the lifelong learning of their employees can bring to their business and encourage and accommodate staff who want to study.

He says research shows workers on average undertake five considerable career changes in their working life and further study often helps people to achieve their career goals.

“They are looking to move up or step across in their role or are after a completely different career change altogether,” he says.

“For the people who I see, it’s more to increase their employment options and to learn new skills but almost every individual has different motivations for returning to study.”

InterContinental Hotel sales director Cassandra Coggins returned to study while working at the hotel so she could progress her career.

She completed an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management in October last year at TAFE SA. She has collectively worked at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide, now the InterContinental Adelaide, for 5 1/2 years.

The course included topics on occupational health and safety, business planning, profit and loss and human resources, which recognised her experience and enabled her to move up the corporate ladder.

“This (qualification) allows me to further develop in my role or, alternatively, move around the hotel to various departments, again in a leadership capacity,” she says.

WORK AND STUDY
•    3594 TAFE SA students in 2009 were gaining a qualification so they could gain a promotion at work.
•    11.4 per cent of full-time workers, or 680,100 staff, received time from their employer to pursue further education in 2009.
•    122,000 mature-age people began an apprenticeship or traineeship in 2009 compared with 120,200 in 2008.