“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” – Brian Herbert
How are you setting yourself apart from your peers? Are you actively engaging in opportunities to better yourself, whether learning a new skill or practicing time management techniques?
Valuing continued education, at any age or skill level, is critical to advancing our businesses and communities – you are always a student. No matter what degree or certification you’ve previously achieved, there are ample opportunities to either widen your repertoire or become more highly specialized in a certain area.
When it comes to sharpening your knowledge, there are several resources available in the Columbus community.
Finding Inspiration
Developing your education doesn’t always mean enrolling in classes, although Columbus is home to an impressive roster of universities and career and technical schools.
Events like the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s CEO Insights series allows attendees to hear valuable and unique insights from some of our region’s premier leaders. Dr. Michael V. Drake, president of The Ohio State University, will join the series August 1 at the Columbus Museum of Art to discuss education, leadership and initiatives like Forward Ohio.
Attending events or discussions that highlight inspirational members of our local community is motivation that can be directly transferred to the workplace.
Taking Advantage of Digital
Many businesses in Columbus offer free educational tools like webinars. Smart Columbus recently held a free webinar which provided an overview of the Smart City initiative, as well as relevant information on electric vehicles, employee engagement and available resources.
Webinars, digital newsletters and similar resources are a convenient way to stay current without needing to worry about the hassle of tickets or parking for an on-site event.
Expand Your Network
Peers, colleagues and even friendly competitors can offer education that is just as relevant and valuable as coursework. Fortunately, Columbus is home to many networking groups and professional associations.
It pays to diversify your network: gather with those from different backgrounds, experiences and skillsets – you never know who might be your next source of inspiration. Are you preparing to launch a new product at work or present a pressing issue to management? Networking with people outside of your organization, and in many cases your industry, can lead you to new solutions.
The idea of always being a student is different for everyone. From the classroom to the computer and beyond, continuing a desire to learn is imperative to succeeding as an employee and productive member of the community.
Interested in networking and educational programming? Visit the Columbus Chamber’s calendar of events for more opportunities.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce offers news, information and other resources that are free and available to all businesses at columbus.org. —
