5 Reasons Why You Should Gain Qualifications

The aim of simply finding work to pay the bills is an all too familiar motive. And because of this common notion, people don't really understand the true value of undertaking any training or learning to gain qualifications. The number one reason why people refuse to undertake any training/qualifications is because of the cost. And it is understandable to see why. University fees are rising. And the cost of some vocational courses (courses which are relevant to a particular trade) are also on the rise. But you really shouldn't look at cost as the main reason to not do any training or learning. Qualifications are hugely important when it comes to your working life. And so to further emphasise the importance of gaining qualifications, I have listed 5 reasons to show you why you should:

1. Gain New Skills

Undertaking a qualification, whether it may be a CSCS card, an SIA licence or a functional skills qualification, you are effectively gaining new skills. And these news skills can be added to your CV. To give you an example, holding a CSCS card will you give skills in health and safety. And a functional skills qualification will demonstrate literacy and numeracy skills. It is never too late to learn and gain new skills. In fact, showing employers that you're willing to learn new skills is extremely advantageous. And this leads me on to my next point.

2. Improve Career Prospects

Not only does training/qualification improve your skills, it also helps to boost your career prospects too. To give you an example, people who hold a CSCS card are in high demand in the construction sector. And that's because the CSCS card gives constructions workers health and safety skills to prevent any incidents occurring on a construction site. Employers in certain sectors, whether it may be childcare or even health and social care, will be looking out for specific qualifications that meet the minimum requirements for the roles. So I advise you to take time to find out what qualifications your desired career paths requires. You can even use the National Careers Service website which has over 800 job profiles. And each of these job profiles provides you with information on the minimum requirements for each role and this includes qualification requirements.

3. Better Salary

It is without a doubt that qualifications can improve your chances of getting a better salary. Some sectors offer a higher salary to encourage more people to take a particular qualification for a specific sector. And in most cases, the higher the level of qualification, the higher the salary package. To give you an example, let's look at the expected salary packages for health and social care workers who hold either a level 2, 3 or 5 qualification:

• Level 2: Starting salary of £15,000 per annum .
• Level 3: Expected salary of approximately £22,000 per annum. Holders of this qualification are expected to be either a team leader or senior member of staff.
• Level 5: This qualification enables you to become a manager where you could earn between £33,000 to £50,000.

4. It's an Investment

As you can see from the previous point, the higher the qualification, the more likely you will receive a higher salary. So you really should start seeing qualifications as an investment. But before you ever decide to enrol onto a course, do some research and see what career prospects are available to you once you've completed your course. Some courses are catered towards a specific career e.g. childcare, security, CSCS (construction). Other courses are more targeted toward boosting skills (i.e. functional skills qualifications) to help you become more employable but that doesn't mean a rise in salary.

5. You Can Study In Your Own Time

Perhaps another reason why many people refuse to get a qualification is because of time. If you're already working, then you will be thinking of taking time off to attend a series of classes. Thankfully there are online distant learning courses that are available. These courses allow you to study in your own time, and at your own pace. You can even study whilst you are in full-time employment. And you wouldn't have to take time off work.

How The Learning Station Can Help You?

Here at The Learning Station, we specialise in providing online distant learning courses in the following topics:

• Child care
• Health and social care
• Construction (CSCS Card)
• Functional Skills
• ESOL & SELT Preparation

All of our courses are competitively priced. For more information, please visit our courses page or call us on 020 8342 7210. Thanks for reading. Do you know of any other reasons for gaining qualifications? Please let us know in the comments section below.