It is no secret that job requirements are more dynamic than ever. The world is changing, and it is changing fast. Technological innovations are disrupting most sectors, while the very nature of work has shifted significantly in the past decade. From automation and artificial intelligence to digital collaboration tools, the way we work has experienced a momentous transformation.
According to LinkedIn data, skills for jobs have changed by 25% between 2015 and 2020. This figure is expected to jump to 40% by 2025. The abilities that are demanded by each industry are changing at breakneck speed. Some skills that used to be in top demand a decade ago have become almost irrelevant today. When industries are changing at such a pace, upskilling is a matter of urgency.
Employees are more than on board
Recent research shows that employees understand this urgency. And they have the possibility to upskill at the top of their minds when seeking a new job.
For some employees, the desire for self-development can reach surprising levels. According to the The American Upskilling Study conducted by Gallup and Amazon, young workers see upskilling as more important than paid vacation or sick leave. This featured as the third top priority for workers aged 18-24, behind only health insurance and disability benefits. So much for the stereotype of an idle and entitled new generation.
Despite the intense focus on self-improvement from recent labor market entrants, all demographics show a keen interest in upskilling. The same study points out that of the 15,000 US workers of all ages surveyed, more than half of them (57%) say they are “extremely” or “very” interested in participating in an upskilling program.
Just having some courses is not enough – they need to be relevant
Make no mistake – this desire from employees to upskill isn’t only indicating that they are hyper-motivated to gain new abilities. It also implies that if your company fails to make adequate learning opportunities available, they will seek them elsewhere.
According to the Workforce Trends Report published last year by the ManpowerGroup, employees are ready to upskill themselves if their employer is not making such courses available. Of all employees surveyed across Western Europe and the US, 57% said they are already pursuing training outside of work. The respondents suggested that this is because company training programs don’t teach them relevant skills, don’t advance their career development, or don’t help them stay competitive in the marketplace.
Skills change fast, and the complexity of each task increases with this. L&D programs need to be updated to reflect this reality.
New developments in L&D can help you keep up
In the current fast-changing environment, just making some courses available is no longer enough. They have to be insightful, accessible, and updated to the latest changes in your industry. This is a lot to think about at once, but fortunately, recent developments in L&D can help you in this mission.
The rollout of AI platforms tailored for the needs of the corporate learning community provides an essential support in this challenging context. Upskilling programs need to always be up to scratch with the cutting-edge realities of your sector. Offering anything less would defeat the purpose of an upskilling programme.
But when so much changes so quickly, how can your L&D department have the resources to both monitor every change and input the latest learnings into your employees’ programs? Depending on the role responsibilities and sector-specific developments, updates can occur monthly or even weekly. Fortunately, you can now let the AI take care of that.
The latest L&D generative AI platforms can generate new courses at the snap of a finger. This can be done either by feeding relevant documents into the program, or by simply writing specific prompts that could guide your AI assistant to design and create a tailored course which is up to date with the latest changes. Generative AI can slash significant amounts of time that would traditionally be spent on writing and designing the course. This can leave your team to focus on the industry- and role-specific big picture and the strategic aspects of their L&D work.
Once you tick the relevance box, focus on the learning experience
Another area where generative AI can help revamp your employees’ learning experience is by designing more interactive and accessible courses. The switch towards microlearning and gamified programs is not such a new development anymore, but many companies are still yet to pick these features up at scale.
Microlearning courses allow your business to present complex information that is broken down in clear, approachable units. Several studies have shown that spaced learning can be more effective than traditional methods where people are exposed to information delivered in bulkier learning slots. A microlearning study experience greatly increases information retention by giving people the chance to maintain razor-sharp focus in short time intervals and take breaks to let the information sink in.
Beyond this, the gamification of study materials is another development that will improve the quality of your L&D programs. By tasking your employees to complete “training missions” you can get them to test their knowledge in an interactive fashion through a variety of methods. This will help keep the learning experience interactive and engaging, and in turn further enhance the learning experience and your employee’s satisfaction with the upskilling opportunities offered by your company.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
https://linkedin.github.io/future-of-skills/
https://www.gallup.com/analytics/354374/the-american-upskilling-study.aspx
