As we step into 2024, the corporate learning and development landscape is undergoing transformative changes. Organisations are recognising the critical role of continuous learning in staying competitive and fostering employee growth.
Many of the challenges experienced by L&D in 2023, are helping drive future trends into 2024. These include:
- Talent Retention & Attrition – Losing skilled talent was a significant challenge in 2023. To address attrition, organisations created ‘learning paths’ to help drive employee engagement and greater job affinity and satisfaction.
- Learner Engagement – As eLearning became the norm along with democratisation of user-generated content, keeping learners engaged was more challenging than ever.
- Skills Gaps – Identifying skills gaps and providing relevant training to keep pace with evolving skill requirements were critical challenges for L&D.
- Legacy Technology – Organisations with older or latent technology struggled to keep up with learner expectations and to achieve the desired outcomes cost-effectively.
- Time Spent Creating Courses – The rapid pace of change in the learning landscape placed demands on L&D departments for rapid course creation with resulting higher costs.
- Hybrid Workforce – The hybrid workforce achieved peak growth in 2023, challenging L&D departments with complex challenges including remote learning and varied learning styles.
- Aligning Business Objectives – L&D teams were required to collaborate more closely with business leaders in order to understand and create learning strategies that aligned with overall business goals.
- Measuring L&D Impact – Organisations continued to require greater proof through analytics of L&D’s impact on employee productivity and its contribution to organisational growth.
In 2023, the transformation of L&D was driven by the integration of emerging technologies like AI, generative AI, avatars, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. There was a significant focus on inclusive learning, personalised learning experiences, and greater learner engagement. However, there were several challenges that impacted the success of L&D initiatives, such as rapid technology adoption, data integrity issues, and stakeholder understanding.
In 2024, key trends to watch for in the corporate learning and development space include:
- Personalised Learning Paths: In 2024, corporate learning is becoming more tailored to individual needs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms are being employed to analyse employee performance data, preferences, and learning styles. This enables organisations to create personalised learning paths, ensuring that employees receive content relevant to their roles, skill gaps, and career aspirations. (see Learning Path courseware off-the-shelf)
- Microlearning on the Rise: Traditional hour-long training sessions are giving way to bite-sized, easily digestible content. Microlearning, characterised by short, focused lessons, is gaining prominence. This approach accommodates the modern worker’s shorter attention spans and aligns with the trend of on-the-go learning. Mobile-friendly platforms are being leveraged to deliver quick, targeted training modules. (see gomo)
- Gamification for Engagement: Gamification is emerging as a powerful tool for enhancing employee engagement in learning. By incorporating game-like elements such as quizzes, badges, and leaderboards, organisations are transforming mundane training programs into interactive and enjoyable experiences. Gamified learning not only captivates employees but also fosters healthy competition and collaboration. (see off-the-shelf customisable games)
- Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): In 2024, the integration of VR and AR technologies is revolutionising corporate training. These immersive technologies offer realistic simulations for various scenarios, enabling employees to practice and refine their skills in a risk-free environment. Industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and customer service are particularly benefiting from VR/AR applications. (see CenarioVR)
- Focus on Soft Skills: While technical skills remain crucial, there is a growing emphasis on developing soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Recognising the importance of a well-rounded skill set, organisations are incorporating training programs that enhance interpersonal and leadership abilities, preparing employees for diverse workplace challenges. (see CenarioVR and Rehearsal®)
- Continuous Learning Culture: In 2024, the shift towards a continuous learning culture is gaining momentum. Organisations are moving away from one-time training events to embrace ongoing, lifelong learning. Employees are encouraged to take ownership of their development, with companies providing resources and support for continuous upskilling and reskilling. (see authoring suite solutions)
- AI: Generative AI’s emergence in the L&D space is redefining how organisations nurture a culture of continuous learning, ensuring workforce adaptability and relevance. (see Lectora CenarioVR, Rehearsal®, Gamification)
- Data-Driven Insights: The demand for data-driven insights and analytics are becoming integral to corporate learning strategies. Organisations are leveraging data to track the effectiveness of training programs, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of learning on business outcomes. This data-centric approach enables organisations to make informed decisions and optimise their learning initiatives. (see CenarioVR, Rehearsal®, Gamification)
- Collaborative Learning Platforms: With the rise of remote and hybrid work models, collaborative learning platforms are gaining significance. These platforms facilitate social learning, enabling employees to interact, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects within corporate learning ecosystems. (see gomo, Lectora)
The L&D landscape in 2024 is driven by innovation, personalisation and a holistic approach to employee growth for the purposes of retention of skilled employees, SME development and mentoring, and organisational efficiency.
ITC Learning Australasia is the leader in immersive and engaging eLearning technologies and is the design and development partner for major businesses and government organisations for 25 years.
If your organisation needs help navigating these challenges to keep your L&D program future-ready, our suite of leading technologies includes VR, Gamification, AI and Video-Based mentoring and coaching and collaborative platforms and efficiency tools for your needs. Contact the team at ITC Learning for help with any tools or technologies.
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