Corporate Learning 2021:
Looking to the future – right now
2020 was an exceptional year – shaped by a global pandemic, it will undoubtedly remain in our collective memory for a very long time to come.
We have talked a great deal about what this crisis means for digitalisation. Is it a driver or an inhibitor? Where are the hidden champions? Do we have an appetite for digital fast food, or do we hunger for slow food?
Of course, not every company was prepared to grab the bull by the horns, but digitalisation has been shown to ensure a company's survival while opening up new possibilities as well. In addition to new markets, business models and target groups, professional development has certainly taken on a key role this year.
These are exciting times for Learning and Development Professionals, as in-person training sessions, which had generally been the norm up until the crisis, now present new challenges for organisations. It's time to rethink professional development! We are experiencing an unforeseen demand for online formats and learning platforms, as well as a need to create hybrid formats; for example, social learning has suddenly transcended the limits of likes and comments.
In this series of articles, however, we will not be looking back but rather setting our sights on the future. While imc experts from around the world share their experiences from last year in a four-part special feature, they are primarily looking forward to new topics, trends and opportunities.
This special feature is meant to provide encouragement as well as ideas and impulses for the coming year. Nick Spielkamp, Head of Marketing and Sales at imc Switzerland will kick the series off with Part 1.
Nick Spielkamp, imc
In the upcoming year, digital training initiatives in Switzerland will focus strongly on actual business output. The current crisis will continue to be a driver for digital learning in 2021, but the effect of all training measures on the enabling of employees will be monitored even more closely, so that training budgets can be used accordingly.
So I see a strong shift from a pure training focus to a strong performance focus. In order to be able to substantiate the effects on the optimization of work results, the consolidation of training and business data in the form of Learning Analytics analyses will play a central role in the coming year.
Learning Analytics data not only provides evidence of the effectiveness of training measures, but also allows for targeted intervention in training to further optimize it and ultimately make employees better at what they do.
In addition to the continuous sharpening of digital training measures in terms of business output, I see a strong decentralization of the design and production of digital training content in the coming year. The Corona crisis has further reinforced the trend that more and more learning content must be digitized in the shortest possible time.
This cannot be achieved by the professional learning and development departments in the companies alone, which is why the technical experts themselves are increasingly assuming responsibility at this point.
However, these know-how carriers must be enabled accordingly in order to create didactically and visually high-quality training courses for various output formats at a reasonable cost. This is exactly where new types of rapid authoring solutions will play an important role, supporting the subject matter experts with artificial intelligence in the efficient production of digital learning content.
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I’ve been a member of the imc crew since February 2019. My multi-faceted tasks always keep me on the go. In addition to my work on corporate brand, marketing and communication strategies and employer branding, I also delve into the operational side.
I have a passion for networks and communities. That is why I represent the brand ambassador programme in the editorial team. I am also actively involved in the SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT (School-Business) network.
Privately, my big passions are travelling, Disney and interior design.
