Duration: approximately 20 minutes

Aim

The aim of this exercise is to create a positive mental picture of learning and of the significance of new knowledge for one’s own career. The participants become acquainted with different learning concepts and learning difficulties.

Course of the exercise

» The trainers present the ageintegrated reflection model and, on the basis of this, the group discusses the concept of lifelong learning.

» The trainers tell the group about adult learning and learning difficulties. Participants can reflect on their own learning styles by means of the learning concept box in the Workbook.

Instructions

Present the age-integrated reflection model to the group (Workbook p. 19). Tell them that it is advisable to consider each life phase and situation as a whole.

Start the discussion by asking the participants what thoughts the picture and the concept of lifelong learning raise. You can write down the answers.

Possible ideas that may come up during the discussion:

• Society changes. The automation of industry, as well as the development of computer technology and telecommunications, has led to the disappearance of many professions and changes in job descriptions.
• Employment in your own profession may decrease so much that there is no point in studying any further.
• As temporary jobs increase, more versatile project skills and specialist knowledge are required of employees.
• Some people have to change profession for health reasons and have to learn a new profession.
• Expanding job descriptions may increase interest in work.
• The wisdom gained by experience is valuable.

If necessary, you can use the following auxiliary questions to encourage discussion.

• Are adult studies worthwhile?
• Are recent graduates more competent?
• Is learning in general part of a given life phase? Is learning only meant for young people?

Finally, ask the participants about the role lifelong learning has played in their lives. Ask for some comments.

Thank the group for their ideas.

Discuss different ways of learning in groups.

Actual learning does not change when we age, but the ways in which we learn may change, for example, learning things by heart may require more time. Motivation and personal interest in the matter contributes to learning. It is important that everyone becomes aware of their own ways of learning in order to find an effective, pleasant learning process. This positively influences both learning itself and the desire to take on new learning challenges later on.

As well as learning styles, it is important to recognize learning difficulties. In extreme cases these can cause lower self-esteem, burnout or reluctance to participate in self-development or work community development.

According to recent studies, adult learning difficulties are common. Behind negative attitudes connected with learning may lie learning difficulties, which may manifest as, for example, difficulties in understanding when reading. When we speak of learning difficulties we should understand that these do not affect a person’s talent or intelligence, but that they merely reveal different ways of piecing together and processing information.

Page 20 of the Workbook has a list of the different ways of learning. You can briefly discuss which of these the participants prefer.

Conclusion

Thank the group for their comments.

Duration: approximately 45 minutes

Aim

The aim of this exercise is to motivate the participants to consider their development needs and opportunities to learn and study from a professional viewpoint. Updating skills is necessary due to changes in work and work life as well as from the perspective of personal well-being.

Course of the exercise

» Participants use their Workbooks to help them think of skills that would be useful for them to develop and compile a development plan.

» They go through their plans in pairs.

Instructions

Before the exercise, inform the group that it is important to identify not only their own strengths, abilities and skills, but also to be aware of the skills they need to develop. As skills are not necessarily permanent, it is worth keeping them up to date.

Task

Ask participants to consider professional skills or skills connected to their work. What skills should be reinforced or would be worth reinforcing (Workbook p. 21)?

Allow few minutes for this task.

Then ask them to write down in their Workbooks ideas for developing the way in which they carry out their work. The participants can use the list of different ways of learning for this exercise.

Put the participants into pairs or small groups and ask them to go through the development needs that arose and how these could be met. Participants can add to their lists during the discussion. Allow approximately 10 minutes for the discussion.

If there is not much time, you can move directly to the group discussion of the exercise without the pair or small group work.

Conclusion

Ask the pairs or small groups to tell you what kind of issues they dealt with. Alternatively, you could ask each participant to offer one development idea.

Thank all the participants after the exercise.

Duration: approximately 70 minutes

Aim

The aim of the exercise is to anticipate various changes that may occur in work and in one’s career, and to consider constructive courses of action for these situations, so that changes can be seen as positive opportunities.

Course of the exercise

» Using example cases, the group discusses the factors that cause uncertainty in change situations and how one’s own actions can help in these situations.

» Small groups brainstorm different change situations and deal with them according to the model of the example case.

» Participants think about their own future changes using the Workbook.

Instructions

Start the conversation by reading or asking someone to read aloud J’s case (Workbook p. 23):

J has been working at the same workplace for a long time. Now the workplace is implementing changes that mean that J would become a member of a work group. J has previously mainly worked alone. He feels insecure about his future.

Write Changes at the workplace on the flip chart or the shared online platform you use for online implementation and ask the participants why J feels insecure moving to a work group. Write one column for insecurity factors and another for solutions. Try to record the suggestions that arise in the discussions and make them into concrete plans of action for J.

Task

Divide the participants into small groups.

Ask them to think of a change at the workplace that has an impact on the work situation or the performance of work, and to break the problem down in the same way as above: What about this change might cause uncertainty and how should a person act in such a situation?

Ask the groups to write down their thoughts either on the flip chart or the shared online platform.

If you only have a few participants, you can ask each small group to choose two possible changes at the workplace. Allow approximately 20 minutes for this exercise. Circulate the groups and allow extra time if needed.

Ask each small group to present a workplace change and ways in which to cope.

Note

Try to direct the solutions so that the person being affected by the change is the actor. For example if someone suggests that the supervisor should intervene, you can ask the participant how they might take the matter up with the supervisor and thus progress further.

Task

Finally, ask participants to open their Workbooks on page 24 and complete Work and career changes exercises 1 and 2. Tell the participants that they may use the suggestions on how to act that they made during their group work for this exercise.

Conclusion

Discuss with the participants how they have acted in workplace change situations and what impact their actions have had. It is advisable to pay particular attention to the positive effects of their actions in change situations.

Finally, thank the participants.

Duration: approximately 45 minutes

Aim

The aim of the information interview is to encourage the participants to find new perspectives to their own future plans.

Course of the exercise

» A visitor is invited to join the group to be interviewed by the participants on career
issues.

» The interview questions are pre-planned.

Instructions

Preferably invite a person with a long work history in the organization to the information interview. This person does not necessarily have to be in a high position, but rather someone who considers their work meaningful. They should be suitable for a positive role model.

This exercise is interesting to the participants because they get acquainted with actual career paths and may also obtain additional information on dealing with different changes at the workplace.

In order to keep to schedule it is useful to offer the visitor information in advance. This ensures that there is time to cover important matters within the given time frame (approximately 45 minutes). If you need support in briefing the visitor, you can use the Invitation to the information interview.

Inform the group by way of introduction that the aim of the information interview is to offer new perspectives to career planning and work life.

Task

Ask the participants to think for approximately five minutes of questions they would like to ask the visitor. Page 25 of the Workbook has space for these questions.

The questions can, for example, relate to achieving goals, changes at the workplace and work contents.

Conclusion

Conclusion and an overview of the next day’s contents (see General instructions).