Training Trends in 2015
As we move through the second quarter of the year, which 2015 training trends can you still capitalize on for the benefit of your business?
Last year, Training Industry Magazine noted that training organizations were prioritizing the specific needs of businesses in the creation and adaptation of training programs. This year, as the industry continues to develop its needs-centric approach to training, Training Industry, Inc’s CEO, Doug Harward, identified ten training trends that showcase how the industry is following through on its needs-centric approach while emphasizing the transformative impact trainings have on all aspects of business.
- Storytelling: Storytelling enables learners to connect their training to its real-world application, which improves both recall and retention of training.
- Use of Big Data Analytics: Data-driven decision making is becoming just as important to training decisions as it is to business decisions because it can guide trainers to the root causes of problems that businesses face.
- Formalization of Mentoring and Coaching: The transition from informal coaching and mentoring to formalized processes will require preparing coaches and mentors to be leaders that can effectively reinforce training, which will make training programs more sustainable.
- Workforce Readiness: Projections suggest a current shortage of skilled workers will only grow over time, so the ability of trainers to leverage big-data can aid in collaborative development of new learning solutions between corporations and educational institutes to better prepare learners for the workforce
- Customer Education Converging with Marketing: Customer education has evolved from post to pre-purchase as training organizations must educate potential customers about the value of their products.
- Microlearning to Bridge Generational Gaps: The creation of “bite-sized” learnings were originally intended to address the learning preferences of the millennial workforce, but it has been quickly adopted across all ages, especially baby boomers, which has encouraged the training industry to structure accordingly.
- Gaming for Reinforcement: Although not a new trend, gaming for learning is in transition from a stand-alone learning technique to a post-training reinforcement technique to extend the life of a training and the likelihood it will be adopted.
- Corporate Spending for Training Increasing: As the economy has recovered from recession over the past six years, businesses are spending on training at pre-recession levels and that level is increasing annually.
- Outsourcing Grows with Emphasis on Transformation: An increase in variable labor and a flexible workforce has contributed to contracting of external training services reaching a five-year high. Corporate executives are expecting more from training than ever before as they look to external partners to drive organizational change and improvement, manifesting as larger, multi-year partnerships.
- Job Market for Training Professionals is Up: Demand for training professionals has reached a six-year high – suggesting that the evolution of the training industry is effectively aligning to the needs of business.
Is your company on-trend or transitioning to adopt these training trends? If not, would your employees be happier, and more productive, with effective training? At Azimut Happy Employees we address all components of employee happiness and workforce competence through our diverse, effective training programs.
Contact us at Azimut Happy Employees to discuss the benefits a training could bring to your workplace.
Source: Training Industry’s Key Trends for 2015: Transforming the Training Function
Alexandra Robinson
Strategic Partnerships Intern