Continuing education is similar to adult education since it is intended for adult learners, especially adults who are beyond traditional undergraduate college or university age. However, categorising continuing education with other educational programs such as vocational training should be avoided. As its name suggests, it is a continuation of education. The student of continuing education already has an education before taking up continuing education.

Continuing education is a form of post-secondary learning activities and programs. Some of the programs may include non-degree career training, degree credit courses by non-traditional students, formal and informal personal courses, workforce training, experiential learning, and self-directed learning which is done through online training organisations.

Many universities, colleges and organisations, including Planet-EMC provide continuing education programs. Continuing education involves credit-granting courses and non-credit-granting courses that are provided by recognised awarding organisations. Non-credit-granting courses are for personal, non-vocational enrichment CPD. Planet-EMC and many training organisations cater to such programs.

It is not only students who need continuing education but also professionals who need it to update their knowledge and skill set. For people practising certain professions continuing education is compulsory. Licensing authorities in several fields make continuing education compulsory for members who hold licenses to practice within a particular profession. If they fail to update themselves through continuing education, their licenses are not renewed. This is done to encourage professionals to expand their knowledge base and keep up with new developments. This may be achieved through college or university coursework, accredited extension courses or conferences and seminars attendance.

The method and format of delivering continuing education include conventional classroom lectures as well as online distance learning. Students who enrol for continuing education in a college or university often opt for classroom and laboratory classes. However, much weight is given to online distance learning as a maximum of those who opt for continuing education are working people who have little or no time to attend classroom lectures.

In such online distance learning, education is imparted through online material, videos, and podcast programming. Online education has seen fast development in recent years, particularly, post-covid. Online education is pursued to be very convenient. Students can continue with their employment and professionally pursue an online education that will help them in career growth.

Other than online material, videos, and podcast programming, continuing education is also delivered through independent study and the use of conference-type group study. Again the Internet plays a big role here. These groups with similar interests meet together online and discuss and exchanges ideas and knowledge. These online communities are very effective in sharing knowledge and new findings.

Another way of facilitating continuing education is through seminars and workshops, which Planet-EMC facilitates. A combination of traditional, distance, and conference-type study, or two of these three types, may be used for a particular continuing education course or program.