Johannesburg – “In 2020, many businesses were unable to provide much-needed training to their teams, as they didn’t have the right training solutions. Their inability to pivot to digital training solutions, resulted in severe delays in skills development and knowledge transfer. This skills deficit had a significant impact on a business,” said Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy.
“What’s more, employees with perfect skills often move on or retire, before skills transfer takes place. Add to this, technology advances and changes in processes as a result of global lockdown, and it has never been more important for training and learnings to take place.”
Businesses that don’t step up to address these needs will be left behind, as the shortage of skills will negatively affect business operations and growth potential.
A McKinsey Global Institute Report indicates that a shortage of skills will push at least 14% of the global workforce away from their current employment by 2030. This skills shortage was identified before the 2020 global health crisis, which disrupted industries and forced many companies to implement remote working. This drastic new way of working impacted traditional classroom business training and learning.
Although the increasing skills gap is an urgent priority for many organisations, the McKinsey survey indicates that the majority of businesses aren’t ready to address this need.
“As much as lockdown disrupted all industries, it also pushed business executives to rethink how they make learning and training accessible for all employees. Businesses that make e-learning a priority will be well-positioned for future disruptions in their industry,” Gullan added.
eLearning is the answer
Technology is a long-term solution, that when deployed correctly, can significantly address the skills gap, across all levels, in an organisation. By implementing learning and training through an e-learning solution, businesses can address their most common concerns, including:
• Budget constraints
• Lack of employee time to participate in training
• Lack of employee participation and knowledge retention
• Lack of appropriate training technology
• Lack of accurate reporting, data and detailed insights.
Here are 5 things to consider before implementing e-learning to bridge the skills gap.
1. Consulting
An effective e-learning and training programme starts with consultation, aligning an organisation’s learning objectives with their outcomes to ensure employees receive the necessary information and are able to meet goals as a result of training.
2. Strategy
A well-structured e-learning strategy lays out a plan for businesses to bridge the skills gap and includes the specific learning needs of various skillsets ensuring employees of all levels stay engaged in the learning material.
3. User experience
Smart e-learning solutions should be easy to navigate and convenient for employees, even if they’re not digitally savvy. This includes providing them an engaging and interactive experience, which encourages employees to complete the learning materials.
4. Microlearning
The Content Capsule™ methodology, which is highly interactive and provides content in bite-sized learning moments, addresses the attention span of adult learners. The method also caters to time-strapped employees’, who struggle to find the time to learn and upskill themselves.
5. Gamification
Gamification motivates employees and promotes behaviour change to make learning fun. This includes game mechanics such as badges, achievements, leaderboards, animations, and sound effects to get your employees engaged and keep them motivated in training.
To address the increasing skills gap and ensure business continuity, relevance and competitive advantage, organisations should prioritise learning and training for all levels of employees. Doing so will ensure that your workforce has the right skills for their roles. Developing a business philosophy of continuous learning and training will develop a pool of exceptional talent, improve job satisfaction, employee productivity and ultimately an organisation’s bottom line.
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