I sometimes think that there are 2 types of people in the education marketplace – those who are attracted to the idea of being able to say they did a course; and those who are attracted to the idea of learning. The first reflects a very superficial understanding of what education can be. The second driven by passion and a thirst for knowledge.
We need to keep reminding ourselves that the first is hollow ambition, and not a sustainable approach to providing education services.
Education should not be so much about fulfilling market demands as fulfilling market needs.
There are a lot of assumptions made about education. Children and adolescents are told that going to school is important and getting a qualification after high school will guarantee their future.
Perhaps this was the case a couple of generations ago; but today's reality is different. Success in a career depends on what you can do; not what qualifications you have. There may be some level of parallel between the two; but only if the qualification was achieved by strong, useful learning. There are plenty of ways to learn things today though - from experience, volunteering and being mentored to the internet (eg. watching you tube videos), reading books and undertaking short courses.
Successful career professionals in many industries today are usually people with knowledge, passion and a sharp awareness of their industry. They are not necessarily people with formal qualifications.
If you want to be successful; focus on learning. Learning should always be the ultimate goal. Passing exams and getting qualifications should always be seen as a supplementary thing.
Study courses that will give you the learning you need. Don't just enrol in a course because you assume you must have a certificate or degree to be successful. That is just a false assumption.
