news


Benchmark study open


Towards Maturity has launched its 2015 Benchmark, which it says is Europe’s largest, most comprehensive independent study of corporate learning.


The Benchmark Study enables L&D professionals to review their current learning strategy against those of top performing learning organisations. The Benchmark is free to participate in and takes 60 minutes to complete first time around. Now in its 12th year, the Benchmark


gathers data from hundreds of L&D professionals to identify the most effective L&D practices. The study first started in 2003 and since then Towards Maturity has analysed data from more than 3,500 organisations and 16,000 learners n See www.towardsmaturity.org/benchmark


Technology-based


learning tightens grip Technology-based learning is tightening its grip in the workplace. After coaching by line managers or peers, e-learning was the second most favoured learning technique, with 59% of L&D professionals expecting to use these more over the next two years. A third of organisations (36%) expect their use of virtual classrooms and webinars to increase and a quarter (25%) think that their use of mobile device-based learning will also increase. At the same time learning at work continues


to evolve, with a growing shift towards creating a hands-on learning culture, with internal knowledge- sharing initiatives such as job shadowing and social learning becoming increasingly commonplace. A survey of L&D professionals by the CIPD found


that to maximise the value of L&D to staff and the wider business, practitioners need to be versatile, facilitating knowledge development regardless of context and method, and with an aim of supporting long-term, sustainable business growth. The findings imply a growing focus on


organisational efforts to foster a learning culture within the workplace. This is supported by the fact that many organisations are increasingly using technology to support learning and development. Ruth Stuart, research adviser for L&D at the


CIPD, said: “L&D is continually affected by external factors and the wider organisation, particularly as systems become smarter, new tools and techniques constantly come to the fore and resources ebb and flow.”


4


Companies lack skill build strategy


A majority of UK business leaders identify their organisations as skill builders – however, one third admit to having no formal strategy to achieve this goal. 86% of UK businesses identify their organisations as skill builders, but 31% have no formal programme in place, according to a survey by Skillsoft. Companies are much more likely to exhibit ‘skill buyer’ behaviour: with over half of respondents (55%) confirming they are more likely to recruit externally to address skills shortages while just 20% of businesses have aligned learning and development programmes to organisational growth. In its Skill Builders Versus Skill Buyers report, SkillSoft looked at how UK businesses are approaching the skills deficit and the responses organisations have to workforce development challenges, and recruitment. Many UK businesses are reporting that since the financial crisis of 2008 an endemic skills shortage is hampering market growth efforts. In order to combat this, organisations are resorting to external recruits


in a bid to hire in new skills and talent.


Kevin Young, managing


Kevin Young: leaders need to look within the organisation


director, EMEA, Skillsoft, said: “To create a highly skilled workforce that will continue to drive productivity, business leaders need to look within the organisation first. Ensuring existing employees are being taught the correct skills to develop them into leaders will not only boost employee performance but future proof the business.”


The report found that UK business leaders widely


appreciate the need for skill building with the majority saying they are investing in internal employee development to fill the necessary gaps throughout the organisation. However, in reality, the L&D programmes in place tend to be reactive responses to specific problems, and just one-fifth of employers expected to fill open roles internally. In order to stay competitive within the wider business market businesses are actually operating as ‘Skill Buyers’ to boost the workforce, especially at C-level positions, with more than 26% of organisations expecting to look externally to fill leadership roles.


White paper maximises digital learning benefits


A white paper aims to help L&D teams inspire employees and transform organisational effectiveness. The publication from Hemsley Fraser was developed in response to recent research from the CIPD which found that 64% of L&D professionals don’t have the capabilities to support learners online The paper examines the evolution of digital learning, the benefits it provides and the challenges of


implementation. Called Digitally Minded: Are you Fit for the Future?, the paper says that L&D teams need a new way of thinking about the possibilities of delivering learning, a belief in the potential of digital assets and the courage to try something new.


The biggest challenge to overcome with digital learning, says the paper, is choosing and curating the right content. Lynsey Whitmarsh, Hemsley Fraser’s head of Digital and Innovation, said: “With the right combination of digital learning options, you can create a personalised learning experience for individuals, giving them true flexibility in how they learn.”


e.learning age june 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46