online professional development

The Future of Professional Development

online professional developmentWritten for EO by Kamy Anderson, an ed-tech enthusiast who writes on emerging technologies in the areas of corporate training and education. 

Digital natives entering today’s workforce expect companies to provide them opportunities for professional development and learning. In fact, a whopping 94 percent of employees would stay with a company longer if it invested in their careers.

Adopting the latest trends in learning allows organizations to empower their staff in effective and relevant ways.

Shifting Trends

Currently, over 35 percent of the U.S. workforce consists of technology-reliant millennials. By 2030, they will make up about 75% of the entire workforce.

Unlike older generations, they aren’t likely to stay loyal to a company that doesn’t meet their needs. If a business fails to provide them with adequate learning opportunities, they are more likely to leave.

While classrooms, conferences, and generic training videos have been a mainstay in professional development for decades, the rise of learning management system (LMS) software provides new opportunities for learning. LMS software relies on artificial intelligence that offers data-driven suggestions to learners, provides immediate feedback, and helps improve employee performance.

LMS software delivers information in easily digestible chunks. Learning becomes mobile-friendly, intuitive and relevant.

Focus on Personalized Learning

Generalized learning is rarely effective. Each learner has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The learning style that works for some doesn’t work for others.

But with AI-powered LMS software, students or employees can learn at their own pace. They can go over the material as many times as they need and skip ahead if they’re already familiar with the topic.

Learners can also get tips and hints on how to improve, get immediate feedback and track their progress. Most importantly, they can learn when and where they want.

This doesn’t just improve the effectiveness of teaching programs, it also allows companies to save money as seminars and out-of-office learning courses become unnecessary. Plus, by utilizing virtual classroom software, employees from all parts of the world can attend the same courses, learn from the same material and gain the same valuable skills.

Opportunities for Personal and Professional Development

Companies that don’t provide learning opportunities to their employees often face lower employee retention and engagement rates. Eventually, their employee’s performance becomes subpar.

Traditional education is falling out of fashion because both employers and employees are now seeking practical skills and applied knowledge. Without traditional education, the best way to learn is on the job. Virtual classroom software or LMS software provides a simple way for employees to improve their skills and ensure their personal and professional growth.

On-Demand Training

Over 18% of employees work remotely full time, and more than half of all employees work remotely at least once a week. These numbers will undoubtedly continue to rise in the coming years.

Remote working makes sense for many companies and employees. Companies can find skilled professionals wherever they are, and employees have greater flexibility.

Bringing them into the home office for classes and seminars is impractical and inefficient, and will only cost you money. This is where one of the most beneficial learning and development trends comes in quite handy: virtual classroom software.

Virtual classroom software lets you provide on-demand training to all of your employees, whether they’re working in-house or remotely.

Automated Learning Plus a Mentor

Learning is quickly becoming automated. While once you trainers, now all you need is a skilled mentor and a quality LMS software. Providing mentorship is a crucial ingredient for an effective training program. As the software provides the latest best-practices and learning, mentors play the role of guide while also providing accountability.

The Bottom Line

Staying on top of learning and development trends will keep your company competitive, and your employees at the forefront of your industry.
The digital natives who are entering the workforce need modern solutions. It’s up to you to ensure better employee retention rates and loyalty.

In the coming years, the biggest trends in the learning and development industry that will improve employee performance and satisfaction include:
● Personalized learning
● Decentralized information
● Focus on personal and professional development opportunities
● On-demand training
● Automated learning processes with the help of AI

In combination, these latest learning opportunities will help your employees gain valuable skills, improve your company’s performance and can increase your bottom line.

Kamy Anderson is an ed-tech enthusiast with a passion for writing on emerging technologies in the areas of corporate training and education. He is an expert in learning management system & eLearning authoring tools – currently associated with ProProfs Training Maker.

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