The document discusses the importance of lifelong learning and provides statistics about lifelong learning engagement. It notes that most formal education ends in one's early 20s but that acquiring new skills and knowledge throughout life is important for career success and flexibility. However, barriers like time, money, lack of information, and location often prevent people from continuing to learn. It provides tips for becoming a lifelong learner such as setting goals, asking questions, and finding learning groups. Examples from the TV show Game of Thrones are used to illustrate how characters may have benefited from additional education.

1. NEVER STOP LEARNING Build a bulletproof career

2. YO
U
KNO
W
JO
N
SNO
W!
NOTHI
NG,

3. WHEN YOU PLAY THE
GAME OF THRONES YOU
WIN OR YOU DIE
Lifelong Learning through
the idiom of Westeros

4. LEARNING IS GREAT!
That is the way society frames the first
two decades of a person’s life!
of college graduates will never read an academic text again
42%
The percentage of European adults who are
engaged in life long learning is:
10%
Source:
professionalacademy.com

5. GRAND MAESTER PYCELLE Probably has not passed
an OFSTED Inspection

6. SO WHAT IS LIFELONG LEARNING
AND WHY DOES IT STOP?
It is the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills and
competencies in our lives
Learn
Get a Job
Start a
family
Stay in the
Job
Get
Trained
Get a
Job

7. KING ROBERT BARATHEON Really should have taken a
course in effective
parenting

8. THE POST DIGITAL AGE
The Digital Age has ended – it ended with the iPhone, 3G & the Cloud
 These technologies have shifted the landscape beyond recognition
 When organisations are Digital by Default their behaviour is more agile
 Their flexibility is improved and they can disrupt competitors not embracing the
future

9. WE BUILD BARRIERS TO LEARNING
Time!
 I’m too busy!
My job takes
up too much
time…
Money!
 Learning costs so
much! I don’t
want a
MOUNTAIN of
student debt…
Information!
 I don’t know
where to start
or what to
study…
Location!
 I don’t want to
go back to
school…

10. NED STARK An Open University Degree
in PPE may have enhanced
his career prospects

11. HOW TO BE A LIFELONG LEARNER
Change Your
Idea of Learning
Establish
Goals
Ask
Questions
Find a
group
Practice &
Teach what
you learn

12. PRINCE VISERYS
TARGARYEN
Would have benefited from
studying Dothraki as a
foreign language

13. THE CITY VS. TECH CITY
PM unveils Tech City transformation
Tech City driving start-ups jobs boom with web developers ‘like gold dust
Evening Standard Headline – 10th Oct 2013
Evening Standard Headline – 12th Dec 2012
The new head of Tech City UK said ‘the time is now’ for Britain to cement
its status as a global player in the digital technology and entrepreneurial industries
Gerard Grech in interview - 17th March 2014

14. LADY LYSA ARRYN Perhaps a crash course
with the British
Parachuting Organisation?

15. THE UK IS FALLING BEHIND
Lifelong education is not the norm - our
global competitors are outperforming us
Of UK nationals hold a masters level degree or above
7%
The percentage of US adults who hold a
masters level degree or above is
15%
Source: ONS & New York
Times

16. PRINCE OBERYN MARTELL A Law Conversion Course
may have been better for
his health

17. LEARNING BRINGS CAREER
BENEFITS
There is always something that we can
learn that will improve the way we work
Organise!
You are not alone – find co-workers & friends who want to learn
The Tech Community is open standards based
and often open source, learn, benefit and
collaborate Share!
Why are you, your organisation and your friends doing things in Question!

18. KING JOFFREY
BARATHEON
Would have benefited from
ILM certification and
membership to
ancestry.com

19. HELP THOSE AROUND YOU
The most amazing thing has happened -
we are in an interconnected digital world

20. IT IS NEVER TO LATE!

21. YO
U
And I am OK with that KNO
W
JO
N
SNO
W!
NOTHI
NG,

22. QA Learning
 http://qa.com
QA Apprenticeships
 http://apprenticeships.qa.com
QA Gateway
 http://www.qagateway.com
QA Executive Masters
 http://masters.qa.com/
Careers at QA
 http://careers.qa.com/
http://about.me/DavidRWalker
Game of Thrones (or a Song of Ice and Fire) is awesome – The books are by
George R.R Martin, the TV Series by HBO. Images from the TV series used with
love, adoration and the UK’s far less litigious fair use copyright laws on Parody