Education
Education is part of your lifelong learning process. Any person’s career will probably involve a combination of formal and informal education.
Formal education
Formal education refers to programs provided by the three sectors of the Australian education and training system: schools, Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) and higher education.
- Schools include preschools, primary schools, secondary and senior secondary schools.
- Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) involves publicly owned TAFE, private provider colleges, community facilities, schools and workplaces, many of which are Registered Training Organisations.
- Higher education includes universities and accredited higher education institutions.
Many adult community education courses are accredited and can be considered as formal education.
Informal education
Informal education refers to all other deliberate forms of learning and includes learning settings such as:
- workshops
- seminars
- professional development activities
- adult community education courses
- leisure courses
- guest speakers’ talks
- conferences
- self-directed learning
- labour market programs
- specialist certification courses (such as those provided by IT companies that do not fall under the Australian Qualifications Framework).
Informal education can play a vital role in your career. It allows you to demonstrate commitment to and interest in a particular subject, and it keeps you up to date on the latest concepts and practices in your career field.
Tip!
Keep track of the informal learning you undertake. Mention it in your resume whenever it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for.