Hotelier Middle East – May 2019

COMMENT & OPINION

HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | May 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 05 39

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ifelong learning is essential to

enhancing an individual’s per-

sonal competencies and career

profile. Career advancement

opportunities are very much linked to

continuous learning and the ongoing ac-

quisition of professional certifications.

In the 19th century, Thomas Carlyle

said: “What we become depends on what

we read after all of the professors have

finished with us. The greatest university

of all is a collection of books.”

Today, this surely would start with the

internet, since technology has allowed

academic and training organisations to

consolidate and send large amounts of

data worldwide. Today’s multitude of

resources are readily available to allow

for continuous learning, whether it be a

free, paid online courses or a more clas-

sic classroom-based professional train-

ing and development programme. How-

ever, it is essential that people identify

two things: 1. Their overall purpose for

investing time and (potentially) money

in a specified programme; and 2. Their

preferred learning styles.

But what is the aim for development?

If employees would simply like to work

on their soft skills around topics like

emotional intelligence, communica-

tion, conflict resolution, to name a few,

A reflection on

lifelong learning and

professional career

development

many free online courses and resources

exist that provide targeted information

in these domains. However, would the

objective be linked to a specific career

move or transition, then investing in an

internationally recognised certification

would be the best?

Certificates such as those offered at The

Emirates Academy of Hospitality Man-

agement by the American Hotel Lodging

and Educational Institute (AH&LEI) are

internationally recognised and a fantastic

way to enhance career profiles if the in-

dividual is unable to financially and tem-

porally afford participating in an MBA

or other postgraduate degree. AH&LEI

courses are robust and well reputed, pro-

viding an affordable option for profes-

sional profile enhancement, respected by

many employers globally.

While certificate courses can also be

completed online, there are a number of ad-

vantages to enrolling in a classroom based

professional training and development

course. Only a small proportion of employ-

ees successfully manage self-directed study.

The best way to obtain and incorporate new

material is in a classroom environment.

Here visual, aural, logical, social, verbal and

even kinesthetic learning styles are best

accommodated. While the trainer should

have expert knowledge of the field of study,

participants learn in equal proportions from

each other’s best practice methods of deal-

ing with specific operational issues. This is

stimulated through peer feedback during

the duration of the program as various top-

ics are presented in addition to participa-

tion in various forms of activities meant to

integrate the new knowledge. Activities like

group work, role plays, reenactments and

even mind mapping are difficult to conduct

integrally in an online environment. The

significance of networking opportunities, in

classroom based learning can also be spe-

cifically empathised. Participants form spe-

cialised bonds during joint learning, where

work related issues are shared and personal

revelations are made. The depth and qual-

ity of these bonds are much more difficult

to recreate via typical networking practiced

during trade events and conferences. Final-

ly, studies have found that employees feel

the most at ease, are more forthcoming to

share work related issues and incorporate

new knowledge when participating in pro-

fessional training courses off-site and deliv-

ered by trainers other than those employed

by their home originations.

We are privileged to live in an era where

access to multiple forms of intellectual

content and delivery channels are avail-

able that meet any type of budget and time

frame. As long as the individual is reflec-

tive in their planning process and under-

standing of not only the overall aim for the

skill development, but also their preferred

learning styles. The essential thing is to

build the habit of continuous learning. The

importance of networking through shared

learning environments should also not be

discounted and professionals should seek

to exploit this avenue more often.

Marina Rizzi, director of industry

relations and international office

Emirates Academy of Hospitality

Management discusses the impor-

tance of professional development

Marina Rizzi