The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated automation and this is likely to create 97 million new jobsOpens a new window by 2025. This ushers  provides us with an enormous opportunity to create a true culture of continuous learning to build a more equitable workplace.
LinkedIn Learning’s latest Workplace Learning ReportOpens a new window explores how learning has evolved from being a fairly new discipline into a must-have strategic role that will help chisel the future of work. Globally, 66% of learning and development (L&D) professionals agree that they are investing time in reshaping and rebuilding their organizations now. The number of enterprise learners has also more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.
Here are some interesting observations made in the report.
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How Are the Executives Responding To the L&D Wave?
In 2021, 63% of respondents globally agree that L&D has a seat at the executive table compared to only 24% in the beginning of 2020.
Source: LinkedIn Learning
However, there is an 8% dip in the number of CEOs prioritizing L&D from June 2020 (70%) to March 2021 (62%). Incidentally, the number is still very high from 27% in March 2020. Also, in many countries, like the US, Southeast Asia, Canada, and France, Â the executive level championship of learning is actually on par with June 2020 levels.
Source: LinkedIn Learning
The Budget for L&D
More and more L&D professionals are expecting their budget to increase this year. However, as of March 2021, only 33% of respondents were expecting budget growth – 4% less than 37% in March 2020. Interestingly, in June 2020, the number dipped to 22%.
Experts believe that this is because the pandemic forced organizations to freeze their budgets. However, with economies slowly crawling back to normal, this number is set to rise.
The report also observed that L&D is pivoting from instructor-led training to blended online learning because of remote working.
“In early 2020, 38% of L&D pros expected to spend less on ILT and 57% expected to spend more on online learning. Today, those numbers are significantly higher: 73% of L&D pros expect to spend less on ILT and 79% expect to spend more on online learning,†the report added.
Making Time To Learn
The pandemic has brought a sea change in how people work, and now employees are keen to learn how to stay relevant in the changing business landscape. While upskilling and reskilling is the top priority of L&D professionals globally (59%), they are also focusing on leadership and management (53%) and virtual onboarding programs (36%).
Quite high on the 2021 learning playlist of L&D pros themselves are LinkedIn courses around instructional design, conversion of face-to-face training into digital learning, creation of e-learning in Articulate Storyline 360, and measuring learning effectiveness.
When asked about how L&D pros are driving learner engagement and skill-building, 49% reported they are working with people managers while 53% of learners revealed their bosses are supporting their career goals.
Companies of different sizes also seem to understand the need to prioritize skill-building and small businesses are ahead of medium and enterprise organizations in this space.
Source: LinkedIn Learning
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Growing the Engagement
More than half of the surveyed L&D professionals said that their executives have made Diversity & Inclusion programs a priority. It also helps in the following:
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- Â Helps identify skills gaps (39%)
- Â Builds internal mobility tools (33%)
- Â Helps identify skills adjacencies (31%)
Also, learner engagement increased 30X as learners increasingly started using social features (Q&As, course shares etc). According to the report, 82% of respondents noted that engaged learners are more likely to find new roles in their organization.
L&D programs are also satisfying Gen Z learners’ curious minds. The report revealed that Gen Z learners watched 50% more hours (per learner) of learning content in 2020 than 2019.
In general also, learning together in teams has huge benefits and companies would harness various opportunities as they come. While 91% respondents say that teams that learn new skills together are more successful, 92% agree that community-based learning helps foster a sense of belonging.