Learning doesn’t just happen when we’re at school or studying at university. Most parents will agree that learning is a continuous process, no matter how many qualifications or years of experience you have. Some might feel like they don’t have the capacity to formally upskill, but a lifelong learning approach allows you to enrich your life with new ways to deal with situations and build relationships.
This post will discuss how incorporating short online courses into your life journey as a parent can make lifelong learning possible. We’ll share insights from Claire Terink, a SACAP Global learner whom we interviewed in a lunchtime webinar.
Claire’s journey towards a growth mindset
Claire is a single mom who thinks of herself as a “serial learner”. She found that SACAP Global micro-credentials were flexible and she could fit online upskilling into her schedule as a business owner. Since the online micro-credentials are stackable, she knew they would contribute to maybe completing an accredited degree one day which is her goal.
Working in coaching and therapy, Claire found that completing SACAP Global courses improved her communication skills by helping her better understand human behaviour. She shares that completing Intro to Human Behaviour and Factors Influencing Human Behaviour developed her understanding and empathy.
Overall, Claire found that she began to focus on continuous growth by completing short online courses. Developing a Growth Mindset inspired her and was one of the most pivotal courses she has done, as it completely shifted her attitude towards gaining new skills.
The importance of staying current
Claire shared that initially, she was unfamiliar with completing online courses. However, since the learning platform was easy to navigate, this process helped her develop valuable computer literacy skills. She felt that using the learning platform and engaging with others helped her build confidence in working online.
While the course takes place in a virtual environment, Claire found that the content was practical and she could apply what she learnt in real life. The variety of courses available and the opportunity for regular peer engagement also made completing multiple SACAP Global courses enriching from her perspective.
She feels that as work shifts more into the virtual realm, face-to-face communication is taking a back seat, which makes it even more critical to develop skills in this area by taking courses such as Effective Interpersonal Communication.
Taking time for self-development
Claire encourages everyone to upskill both personally and professionally. She believes one of the main benefits of completing SACAP Global’s online courses is the opportunity for self-reflection. These specialised short courses, therefore, aren’t only about ticking professional boxes but also provide scope for “healing and wholeness”.
In response to one of the webinar questions, the Head of SACAP Global, Karolyne Williams, shared that completing a short course like How to Have Critical Conversations is invaluable. Regarding self-development, learning to be secure in yourself and how you show up in the world will give you the tools to step onto any “stage.”
Tips for juggling and work
As a mom and business owner, Claire found the course content easy to adapt to her life. She shares that while it’s critical to set aside time to engage in content and give yourself space to do the inner work, it’s possible to do more than one course at a time (provided you can manage it).
While multiple short courses might be possible for some, allocating time daily to work through even just one course is essential. This consistency can help you develop a solid lifelong learning routine. With this approach, you incorporate studying into your schedule instead of making it another “to-do” on the list.
As new short courses and workshops are launched frequently, there are regularly new topics to pique your interest. Claire says that the variety of the online course content motivated her to keep learning and engaging with new information.
Adopt a lifelong learning approach with SACAP Global
As we’ve discussed, there are many benefits to engaging in continuous growth and learning. Claire Terink’s experience of taking multiple courses shows that it’s possible to fit these into a busy schedule as a parent.
Claire’s main areas of interest were communication, human behaviour, and developing a growth mindset. However, you can learn even more diverse skills by signing up for our specialised online courses and workshops.
Some of our most recent topics include:
- Sexology: learn more about the study of sexuality and sexual identity, which can help navigate your intimate relationships.
- Sports Psychology: as human beings push themselves to achieve more, learn about how psychology plays a role in achieving optimal physical and mental performance
- Crisis & Trauma: dealing with crisis and trauma requires a skilled approach, which includes developing tools to implement trauma-sensitive counselling
- Childhood Development: by understanding childhood developmental disorders and neurological disorders, we can become better equipped to support children and parents
- Mental Health: Our short online courses, including Enhancing Mental Health, teach you more about managing your mental wellbeing.
- Coaching: Coaching is a popular field and can help you gain valuable skills in managing and motivating people. One of our most popular courses is Intro to Coaching.
If you’re interested in any of these topics or would like to explore more of our foundational certificates in communication, leadership, management and counselling skills, browse our courses.
You can also visit the SACAP YouTube channel for more testimonials and other relevant webinars.