How has corporate learning improved and diversified over the years?

Liza Andersin discusses the timeline of corporate learning and how it has adapted to the workplace trends and diversified over the years.

Reading time: 3 minutes.

Learning at Work Week 2019 is fast approaching. This year the event takes place May 13-19 and the theme is ‘Shaping the Future’. Ever since the first event that took place in 2009, this annual awareness week encourages organisations around the country to celebrate learning and development. 

The shift in workplace learning trends

The recent L&D report revealed that 41% of businesses said that leadership and management development is their top training and development priority. This is due to the growth of employees and their importance of enriching their career paths, control over what they do and how they do it and maintaining the feeling of contentment at work.

Workplace learning was previously a one-size-fits-all-approach. The approach used was to believe that everyone benefits from the same learning experience, but evidence shows this needed a reboot. The approach and the content involved in the training must match the personal needs or preferences of individuals, so it’s effective to let them choose themselves.

[LAWW]… is not only a chance for you as an organisation to reintroduce learning to working life but it’s also a chance to change employee perceptions of learning, making it something that people want to do.

The rise of online tools have opened up a whole new field of learning; employers now had the power to choose their own approaches as opposed to being mentored throughout the course of the training. The trend of a formal top-down system is no longer, and modern workplace learning places responsibility for self-improvement in the hands of the individual.

The availability of online learning tools paved the way for learning to be less centralised which led to the power of control being placed in the hands of the employee.

Corporate learning today

Employees are now encouraged to manage their own learning and work to come up with innovative solutions for daily problems. The implementation of online learning tools such as courses and quizzes are less expensive and time consuming yet are more convenient and effective for employees.

Learning can take place on the employee’s terms; a single system makes distributing training more consistent and enjoyable.

Everyone must take responsibility for their continuous improvement and identify their own performance problems and development needs. It is also the responsibility for both managers and L&D to allow and support what their workforce chooses whilst offering their guidance when required.

 

To keep up with the ever-changing digital interface, immersive learning is the next big thing in corporate training. With our brains being prone to forgetting information presented to us in a simple interface, learning and development professionals must make far better use of the most efficient ways to optimise knowledge retention of their learners.

Immersive learning uses a technology which optimises how the brain learns. It will not replace existing methodologies, but it will enrich learners’ experience and increase the efficiency of training.

The benefits of being involved in Learnign at Work Week

There are many benefits that come with Learning at Work Week (LAWW). The week helps to stimulate employee interest in learning; it is not only a chance for you as an organisation to reintroduce learning to working life but it’s also a chance to change employee perceptions of learning, making it something that people want to do.



Organising creative campaigns is encouraged as the aim is to capture your employee’s imagination and ignite their interest.

LAWW also aims to convince employees of the value of learning to stimulate interest. Last year, Essex Council reported the objective of ‘helping staff to help themselves’ and through the training provided during LAWW managed to successfully demonstrate the benefits of staff participation in learning.

Business as a whole will benefit from this commitment to a robust, forward-thinking learning and development programme. Identifying and closing the skills gap can better prepare your organisation for a dynamic future.

Take the opportunity that Learning at Work Week provides to really show your stakeholders and employees alike the value in your workplace learning and development programmes.

 

About the author

Liza Andersin is HR Director at findcourses.co.uk 

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