How Covid-19 Is Changing The Learning Landscape

Workplace training and certification have never been more important

Nearly 12 months ago, the way we do just about everything changed — seemingly forever. Simple things like going out to dinner, traveling to meet friends and family, or even just going to the grocery store suddenly felt like a luxury. Things that we had once taken for granted almost immediately began to feel out of reach; the ease of doing them quickly started to feel like a distant memory. 

But there’s something else that changed in 2020 that isn’t talked about nearly as much, even though it affects all of us: workplace training and certifications. 

Consider that while the world shut down, many fundamental aspects of our economy that we rely on every day — such as transportation and logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, construction, and a lot more — were required to keep moving. 

But how were these employees (many of whom were rightfully deemed essential workers) able to continue in their fields getting the proper training they needed? And for the employees who quickly saw their careers change, how were they able to find and develop new skills in a remote working environment? 

Learning management systems, or LMS, provide the answer to both questions. These digital learning platforms are how organizations have been able to house, quickly deliver, and track consumption of their training content. And in 2020, they became more important than ever. 

Whether traditional desk workers in the knowledge economy, or deskless workers handling industrial machinery, the pandemic meant companies had to quickly change their approach to training so that workers could continue to do their jobs and the world could continue to operate. 

When in-person training became unfeasible, companies couldn’t just stop and wait. They had to act quickly and find a digital method to deliver essential training to their workers. LMS providers worked with corporations around the country to enable training programs that could be offered on mobile devices, through workplace communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and even through social media. 

Technology adoption accelerated enormously within the workplace learning arena, allowing employees to access the tools they needed across different channels and through different mediums. 

And this has had some very positive ramifications for HR. 

For one thing, the swift expansion into new delivery methods has enabled corporate learning departments to rethink what training means, as well as how to increase participation among their employee bases. 

By allowing employees to access training on their mobile devices, training programs can be offered in much smaller, “bite-sized” chunks of time and on a more frequent basis. This is helpful for parents who are working from home while their children are attending school virtually. It will also continue to appeal to Millennial and Gen Z workers who are used to accessing micro- and short-form content both during idle moments and in the flow of work. 

What’s more, different delivery methods reduce barriers and friction, making it more appealing to employees who might not be particularly tech-savvy or don’t want to take time out from their busy schedules to watch a long training video. 

For another, learning management systems that are fully digital allow for easy scalability and accessibility across multiple platforms. This streamlines the adoption process for the organization and accessibility for employees, making it far easier for HR to obtain employee buy-in to their training programs. In fact, Harvard Business Review has noted that while corporations spend more than $350B annually on employee training, many are not seeing the expected return on investment. Many employees just revert to their old ways of doing things. If you try to offer training on platforms that are not easy and not as accessible as other applications they’re used to, people won’t engage, and the overall result is weaker buy-in.

Finally, advanced LMSs allow for greater personalization and contextualization in training, which mirrors the experience workers are accustomed to in every other aspect of their digital lives—from shopping to social media.

Workplace training and certification have never been more important, especially with so many workers looking for new positions in the wake of mass layoffs. As 2021 continues, we can expect to see more movement in corporate learning’s long-overdue digital transformation.