Presented at the 2014 Digbury Weekender - my talk on Lifelong Learning in the digital age as demonstrated by Game of Thrones

1. NEVER STOP LEARNING
Build a bulletproof career

2. YOU
KNOW
JON
SNOW!
NOTHING,

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 MAESTERPYCELLE
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 Defaulttheir 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 VISERYSTARGARYEN
Would have benefited from studying Dothrakias a foreign language

13. THE CITY VS.TECH CITY
Tech City driving start-ups jobs boom with web developers ‘like gold dust’
Evening Standard Headline –10thOct 2013
PM unveils Tech Citytransformation
Evening Standard Headline –12thDec 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 technologyand entrepreneurial industries
Gerard Grechin interview -17thMarch 2014

14. LADY LYSAARRYN
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 OBERYNMARTELL
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
You are not alone –find co-workers & friends who want to learn
Organise!
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 that way?
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. YOU
And I am OK with that
KNOW
JON
SNOW!
NOTHING,

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
GameofThrones(oraSongofIceandFire)isawesome–ThebooksarebyGeorgeR.RMartin, theTVSeriesbyHBO.ImagesfromtheTVseriesusedwithlove,adorationandtheUK’sfarlesslitigiousfairusecopyrightlawsonParody