Lifelong Learning Lasts a Lifetime
If you’re anything like me, you feel like a good portion of your life was spent in a classroom, learning from a teacher. From grade school to high school to the final stages of college and graduate school, it felt like the classes, lectures, and seminars were never ending.
But as I moved into the workforce (thinking that those classroom days were a thing of the past), I realized that learning never truly ends and—wonder of wonders—that’s a good thing. I’ve come to see that the broadening of our minds through knowledge gain is crucial to our existence not only as employees, but as human beings. Just as food nourishes and strengthens our bodies, continued learning nourishes our minds.
Learning Lasts a Lifetime
Of course, I’m not alone in this thinking. And the team at the Packaging School, along with our partners at the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), are committed to providing you with a means for educational growth. We believe that online learning beyond traditional brick and mortar school walls is an efficient and excellent way to receive continued education in today’s world. In 2017, our organizations recognized the need to adapt our educational methods to the busy, modern professional and this led to the creation of the Beverage Institute by ISBT®. Currently, there are eight e-learning courses available, and we are continuously working with subject matter experts in the beverage industry to build more courses relating to the art and science of beverage technology.
Time on Her Hands
Natalia Bogaczewicz (a Beverage Applications Technologist at T. HASEGAWA USA INC.), is a Beverage Institute student. During the pandemic, Natalia found herself with a little extra time on her hands. She decided to put that time toward the development of her career. Her previous job had focused on flavor development, but she wanted an understanding of how the beverage category operates—where it’s going and the proper protocols that are standards throughout the industry. After some online research and the recommendation of a trusted colleague, she enrolled in ISBT’S Fundamentals of Beverage Technology Course.
Upon completion of the course, Natalia discovered she had gained a foundational knowledge of beverage production that is consistent throughout the industry, and that she could apply this newfound knowledge in her current role.
Speaking to this point, Natalia said,
“What I love about the Fundamentals of Beverage Technology course is that it showed [me] products and development from start to finish.”
Having a better understanding of each process in the creation of a beverage will help her guide customers in the best direction.
Natalia also took the Sweetener Course, which she said really expanded her knowledge and opened her eyes. Her work with flavor development had not offered the opportunity to become familiar with sweeteners, specifically artificial sweeteners. Ultimately, she said it was fascinating to learn about sweetener origins, intensities, and their recommended beverage application.
What Will YOU Do?
The benefits of continued education throughout your career are numerous—an enhanced understanding of the world, open doors to new opportunities, and an improved quality of life. Many people don’t realize the strong link between education and health, but research shows a strong link between reading and overall health. Broadening your knowledge base will keep your brain active and sharp—and also improve your memory (anyone else desperate for help in that area?). And studying to learn more about the field you work in is always a good move!
Natalia, like me, recognized that learning should be a lifelong pursuit. She saw an opportunity to embrace the benefits that come from furthering her knowledge and she took it—will you join her?
ENROLL TODAY in one of our beverage courses!
Written by:
Julie Rice Suggs, Academic Director | The Packaging School
Alli Keigley , Production Coordinator | The Packaging School
