Learning is an integral part of the workplace. It happens on a daily basis, informally and socially, as connections are made both in and outside of the workplace environment and individual employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their own professional development.
However learning cannot always be so easily naturalized within a workplace environment. While organic learning is a vital part of professional development, sometimes it does not provide individuals with the necessary resources or materials to maximize their learning potential. This is particularly true when it comes to accessing information from multiple resources, despite the ease with which the internet facilitates information sourcing.
Maximize Your Learning Potential
Recent studies have shown that 60% of all new jobs in the US will require skills that only 20% of the workforce is in possession of. However there is a specific type of resource available which can maximize the potential for information-rich learning to take place within the workplace itself.
Not only is this resource able to minimize company downtime and maximize career development opportunities for all employees, it is also available to access externally of a workplace environment by non-workforce members who wish to advance their careers during interim employment periods. This resource is, of course, e-learning.
Cost Effective E-Learning Strategies
E-learning has risen to meet the demand for staff training that has become critical at a time when downsizing has meant that remaining staff have had to take on more challenges. And because e-learning is cost effective and easily implemented, companies wishing to maximize the capabilities of their staff during the recession have found it particularly useful. Peter Phillips of Unicorn Training stated, ‘.. the impact of reduced training budgets has actually had a positive impact on demand for e-learning … largely due to its ability to deliver training at lower cost.’
One reason for why e-learning is so capable of providing low cost learning solutions is its versatility. E-learning strategies include, but are not limited to:
- Webinars
- Video
- Interactive Simulations
- Games
- Case Studies
- Collaborative Learning
- Cloud Hosting for Optimized Resource Access
- Multi-Lingual Learning Solutions
- Opportunities to Integrate Traditional Learning
The Impact of Technology on Career Development
E-learning was at one point set back by the advent of the internet, which replaced traditional media learning with learning ‘solutions’ characterized by slow connectivity, an absence of audio or video and even limited static image quality.
Modern e-learning is quite the opposite, delivering media-rich and mobile-ready content across a variety of platforms. Career development now benefits from learning strategies which incorporate the best of both e-learning and traditional learning methods, with the added incentive that they e-learning resources can be accessed globally and incorporate ongoing assessment criteria which provide an objective measurement of knowledge retention.
E-learning has also proved useful across a wide range of industries, from pharmaceutical to warehouse or office environments. Practical applications include:
- Health and Safety Training
- Industrial Machinery Simulation
- Digital Media Training
Advancements in the technology of e-learning mean that, not only are users able to access wider and more comprehensive range of learning resources than has been previously possible, they are also now able to do so within an individually tailored time-frame that doesn’t require professional downtime. The impact upon individual career development is significant, as learning can now be conducted alongside vocational career development for maximum benefit.
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