This article was first published in Inside Learning Technologies magazine, January 2013
You can also read this article online at http://viewer.zmags.co.uk/publication/cd7ac46a#/cd7ac46a/80
In this article, Suzana Lopes, Senior Vice President of Sales at learndirect describes how businesses can reap the benefits of learning technologies by overcoming some of the obstacles.
Seven years ago Lord Leitch released a report looking at the skills the UK needs in 2020 to be able to complete globally . At the outset of 2013 it's the perfect time to look at how far we have to travel in the next seven years to make his ambitions a reality. Although skills are high on the government agenda there's still a long way to go. In England there are 8.1m adults who lack functional numeracy, and 5.1m who lack functional literacy, whilst a recent report showed each year 300,000 18-year-olds start adult life without the equivalent of a maths or English GCSE . A number of government policies have been put in place to address these issues: many tackle the performance of schools; the introduction of functional skills, which are now mandatory for those on Apprenticeships; and the Work Programme, set up to help tackle long term unemployment with skills training for many participants. But how much is technology being deployed in all these developments?
There's been much talk in government about encouraging innovation. Its digital strategy is all about moving services online. The benefits are clear, with an estimate this will save between £1.7 and £1.8 billion a year. But there's less evidence of this commitment to technology in the employability and skills sector. Particularly in the Work Programme, which provides support to the long-term unemployed to help them get back into sustainable employment. A "black box approach" - which gives providers the freedom to deliver programmes in the way they see best - should, in theory, pave the way for making the most of innovation and technology, but its use has been limited.
Despite this reluctance to use technology, much in-work training is still taking place. A study from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills showed 15 million members of staff were trained in the last year. However, 41% of companies don't train their staff at all. Businesses also report 16% of vacancies are difficult to fill due to skills shortages. This can cause real issues for businesses, with increased workload for other staff, failure to meet customer service objectives and lost business to competitors.
At learndirect we've shown how technology can improve productivity, staff morale and employee retention for businesses as well as improving individual lives. Since 2000 we've helped more than 3.5 million people improve their skills by learning online as well as helping more than 6,000 businesses develop their staff.
So, the benefits of training are clear, and learndirect, and others, has shown technology can be effective in delivering it. However, we believe the case for it hasn't been made strongly enough. New research out recently from Towards Maturity , an organisation which surveys companies - large and small - on their use of technology-led learning, has found real bottom-line, quantifiable benefits. These include a 17% reduction in the cost of training and a 29% reduction in study time. More than half of businesses (53%) have improved compliance through technology-led learning, 43% report it helps implement new processes or products.
Breaking down barriers
Given this, what's stopping companies from integrating technology into their training plans? To really make a strong case for change we need to identify and overcome the barriers faced by businesses today. Our own experience, backed up by the Towards Maturity findings, shows there are four main issues: the views and attitudes of both learning and development staff and management; technology; content; and learners.
The first relates to learning and development staff and management in general. In order for technology to be integrated seamlessly into an organisation management need to be confident to talk about, use and advocate learning technologies. What the Towards Maturity research tells us is often this isn't the case. More than half of respondents to the survey said it was not a management priority and 62% said their HR departments had a lack of knowledge of potential use and implementation.
This is a familiar story. When learndirect launched in 2000, there was a huge scepticism about what we were trying to do, both within the sector and more widely amongst businesses. Move on a decade and technology is everywhere - with people of all ages using it to search for information, message friends and organise their lives. With this only set to increase in the years to come it's a barrier we can expect to disappear.
The technology itself can also cause issues for many companies. These can range from whether they have access to the technology needed to the compatibility with their IT infrastructure. Again, this issue is one we were well aware of when learndirect launched and it's still one we hear potential clients talk about today. But technology is constantly evolving and companies are adapting. Back in 2000 we opened up a network of centres to ensure people could access their learning close to home. In 2010 went one step further to open a customer contact centre in Leicester, which now provides support to learners and employees learning remotely at home or in the workplace. Businesses we work with have also set aside areas where computers are available for employees to learn.
Content is also seen as a barrier and Towards Maturity report companies have had poor experiences in the past. Many firms make comments about the content being too generic or lacking relevance. At learndirect we believe shifts in content delivery will overcome these real and important issues. With cheaper video and audio equipment available, there's scope for more companies to develop content which is then available on platforms which allow peer-to-peer and learner-tutor interactions.
Finally, and often cited as one of the biggest barriers is a lack of interest, buy-in or understanding from employees as potential learners. When this is the case companies will struggle to implement learning technologies regardless of overcoming the barriers mentioned previously. The Towards Maturity study found half of businesses reported their staff were reluctant to learn using technology and 40% of companies said they felt their staff didn't have the necessary IT skills to learn in this way.
Understanding the learner
Understanding more about potential learners is important in helping break down that final barrier and ensuring employees embrace learning within the workplace. Our own research shows people have specific worries about learning online. These include a lack of confidence in using computers, learning on their 'own' and in this method of learning generally. On top of this learndirect learners are often people who have had a bad experience with education in the past, lack confidence and come from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, with the right support we've shown technology has the power to make a real difference. We need to help people overcome these worries to ensure they make that first step, continue to feel supported during their learning and ultimately, and most importantly, come out at the end with a qualification and the skills to progress in the workplace.
The first step is through building knowledge and confidence about the learning from the outset. Businesses need to ensure communications about learning are creative and engaging, highlight the benefits and avoid overwhelming employees with information. It's then important to ensure learners are placed on the right course for both their own needs as well as those of the business. Our experience shows this is one of the most important elements in ensuring people are motivated and complete their qualification.
Another crucial element is to ensure the learner gets off to a good start. Given the common lack of confidence in using computers, it's key businesses ensure employees are given the time and support to get to grips with the technology. It's also essential this support continues through the learning programme to keep the learner motivated. This support needs to come from a variety of people, including colleagues, learning and development staff and most importantly line managers. Put the time and effort in here and you'll reap the rewards. With this in mind we've worked with Towards Maturity to produce a report which looks further into the barriers being faced and will be launching this at the Learning Technologies exhibition.
When we address and break down these perceived barriers, it's clear they can be overcome. If the UK is to become a world leader in skills by 2020 as Leitch set out to achieve, we really need to start using every tool at our disposal to achieve this, and technology is one of the most powerful tools we have. Technology can help make a real difference in improving skills and the more we see this adopted in policy and delivery over the next seven years, the more likely we are to achieve our goal.
i http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/leitch_finalreport051206.pdf
ii Review of vocational education - The Wolf Report http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a0074953/review-of-vocational-education-the-wolf-report
iii http://publications.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/digital/
iv http://www.ukces.org.uk/publications/employer-skills-survey-2011
v http://www.towardsmaturity.org/
Thanks for your help,
The learndirect team