Many careers require continuing education because it is a way for professionals to accelerate their career development. The term ‘continuing education’ refers to lifelong learning that ensures that professionals are updated with the latest knowledge in their respective fields. It allows them to learn about new developments, emerging technologies, skills, and breakthroughs. Today, professionals primarily pursue higher education for career progression, achieving increments, or expanding their skillset. 

Continuing education is mandatory mainly for careers that require certification or licensing. For instance, patients feel more confident with a healthcare professional who is aware of all the new advancements in medicine and healthcare. Along with the healthcare industry, various other professions value higher education; let’s have a look at them: 

1. Engineers: 

Engineering is the core of human progress and rapid development. Without innovative engineers, several industries would not be able to transform and optimize their processes. Hence, it is critical for engineers both fresh and experienced to stay in touch with the current engineering trends and changes in the field. Engineers are responsible for the progress of almost all types of technical areas. Thus, they are required to maintain their professional competence through continuing education and training. Additionally, some of the sub-fields of engineering compel engineers to obtain specific certifications and sit in licensure exams. Thus, they mustn’t disregard acquiring higher education. 

2. Lawyers: 

Undoubtedly, lawyers must keep up with the amendments and changing laws that emerge with time. To remain abreast with prevailing standards and regulations and propel their careers to new heights, lawyers must continue their legal education. It explains why many law aspirants and novice lawyers are eagerly earning an online LLM degree to accelerate their careers. And given the convenience of online learning, managing education and work becomes easy. Furthermore, it is no surprise that continuing legal education is a mandated rule for all law professionals, especially lawyers. Passing your bar is just the beginning of a lifetime commitment to studying and learning. Apart from a few states in the US, every other requires a minimum number of hours for CLE because laws are constantly changing. Continuing education allows you to have a broad knowledge of the law. 

3. Nurses: 

It is almost impossible to learn everything in a nursing school since medicine is constantly advancing and evolving. Statistics from NCBI show that patient outcome is sufficiently positive when treated and cared by nurses with higher education. It is critical for practicing safe patient care that nurses are up to date with the new techniques and methods in the nursing field. Nurses pursuing higher education have a passion for improving and providing quality care. For instance, a nurse who isn’t informed about changes in procedures may provide inadequate care to patients. Continuing education is also essential for nurses to develop new skills to keep up with industry standards and advance their careers. 

4. Accountants: 

For a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), continuing education is a competitive advantage in the rapidly changing world. So, why is there a constant push for higher education for accounting professionals? For starters, it is a requirement in many states that any accountant or a practicing CPA should obtain further education to keep their license. The typical breakdown for higher education required credit hours is somewhere between 40 and 120 hours. However, it can vary according to the licensure requirements for different states. 

Besides licensing requirements, continuing education for a CPA means better earning opportunities as well. For instance, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) membership is a welcoming factor for many accounting firms offering competitive salaries and executive roles. For acquiring AICPA, additional CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credit hours are necessary, which ultimately signifies the importance of continuing education for a lucrative career. 

5. Teachers: 

The learning criteria for students have drastically changed in the past few years. It means that teachers need to stay abreast of the current trends and instructional practices to meet student learning requirements. That is why it is a teacher’s responsibility to improve student outcomes by learning the best instructional strategies, which is only possible with the help of continuing education. 

In today’s tech-dependent era, students are tech-savvy and require unique teaching strategies. Therefore, instructors must learn diverse teaching methodologies and new techniques to align their teaching styles with students’ needs. Additionally, other benefits of continuing education for teachers include better job opportunities, a deeper understanding of techniques to narrow the achievement gaps, high salaries, and more. With higher education, teachers can efficiently market their abilities and increase their chances of a smooth career transition. 

Conclusion: 

Continuing education can vary from online courses and seminars to entire degree programs. Higher education is a critical requirement for gaining licenses and transitioning to better career opportunities for some professions. Continuing education is a medium for many professionals such as doctors, lawyers, physicians, and more to stay updated with current trends and knowledge. Since the world is constantly evolving, professions like teaching, accounting, nursing, and more should opt for higher education to remain abreast of industry standards and changing practices.