Build Better Learning for Everyone

COVID-19 still on your mind? It sure is on mine. I've come to accept (I hope) that whether we like it or not, COVID-19 will be part of our reality and conversations for a very long time. Yes, it is part of our new normal but have we really reached a new normal? Aren't we all still responding, or even reacting, to the changes our virus aware world has brought?

The other day I found Decoding Global Trends in Upskilling and Reskilling, a report from Boston Consulting Group dated November 2019. It explored two megatrends – technology changes and globalization – as drivers for the adoption of new skills in current (upskilling) and completely different roles (reskilling). The majority of respondents (61%) in the research agreed that these two megatrends would affect their jobs and citing automation, AI, trade and outsourcing as reasons.

It would be interesting to look at how peoples' beliefs in how these megatrends affect their jobs have changed over the last couple of months. We can only assume that the % has gone up.

When the report was released it was shown that there was a correlation between how strongly one believed their jobs would be affected and the willingness to learn – the stronger you believed, the more time you spent on learning new skills. And when people needed to learn new job skills, the BCG report shows, the preferred method was self-directed, including studying on their own (63%), on-the-job training (61%), and online training, such as taking courses through online platforms and using mobile apps (a combined 54%).

With COVID-19 suddenly all around us we had to learn new ways. We had to get on with it. Make it happen. But how do we go forward? Are there ways to not only adapt to the new normal but build better learning frameworks which doesn't only target a select few but which creates sustained learning for everyone and moves the whole organisation?

We believe that this is the right time to revisit learning frameworks, especially now that the impact on trade and the change in how we do our jobs will continue to affect our willingness to learn and how we learn. And it's not only about learning, it's about making our organisations and communities less fragile – it's about preparing for other, future new normals.

If you are interested in discussing how our video coaching, with which we can reach more people at a lower cost, can support your organisation in building sustained learning – book a call with Phil Moyle, Head of Sales (WA) or Richard Tootill, Head of Digital Client Services (East Coast).