How can you use work-based learning to advance your career goals and aspirations?

Sub-Saharan Africa's informal micro-enterprises (IMEs), employ 80% of the population, but less than 25% have the capacity to scale. Here are 3 ways WBL helps: 1. Work-based learning equips you to carve out robust internal processes, transitioning from a casual hustle to a structured, formal business. 2. By building solid business practices, you're creating a credit-worthy enterprise. This can be a real turning point for career growth, especially in a landscape where financial credibility opens doors. 3. Work-based learning gives you the know-how to navigate the complex regulatory environment, essential for scaling any venture. The right WBL strategy can advance your career and transform your business aspirations into tangible success.

Work-based education, known as DUAL education in Ecuador, has gained popularity by combining academic training with professional practice. By 2023, it included 25 programs in technological, industrial, and agronomic areas. However, it is crucial to select the educational program carefully, considering three key areas to find the right professional path: What do I want? Evaluating personal interests is essential. What can I do? Aligning interests with skills and competencies is key. Who am I? Understanding one's personality and behavior is crucial for making the right career decision. At Arentto, our goal is to discover and enhance each individual's true talent by changing the perception of available opportunities.

Life is an endless journey of learning, growing, and discovery. The experience is a rich and rewarding one that gives you access and opportunity to build capacity, increase knowledge, expand your network, and develop or acquire resource capital that can serve as a platform to launch your career. WBL offers such opportunities where you can align your career goals and objectives with the resources available in your organization and utilize them to add value and create mutually beneficial outcomes. WBL should provide an avenue for not only personal growth but also organizational development as the tools and resources you develop and utilize become vehicles that define and shape the future you make.

Consider all options as often different colleges and training providers that support your WBL programme have different nuances that may appeal more towards your future aspirations.

It’s important to recognise psychologically your feelings. Create rhyme and routine to embed core time to learn and reflect through applying new found knowledge and skills into your work. Making that time now will help develop learning as a habit.

Practising skills and knowledge attained now only showcases to your employer you can carry out work but is an opportunity to celebrate, hone and define your skills with peers and mentors also celebrating in your success.

There are many websites available to support with information, advice and guidance - helping you to recognise future skills requirements to help you achieve your goals.

Education and learning is not something that is always about taking a leap, a jump or a skip into WBL. Peers and mentors along the way will shape your thinking, understanding and potentially your career. Unlocking things you will grow to love about yourself and you career. Throughout life we develop new skills and knowledge even when you least expect it.