How has workplace learning changed since the pandemic?

Hana Dickinson

There's no denying that the advent of Covid-19 has transformed our working lives in many ways. At the start of 2021, about half the UK labour market worked from home, and the most commonly expected work pattern post-Covid is two days a week from home. (1)

Yet what about workplace learning? Are we now using new tools to facilitate our thirst for knowledge whilst working remotely and has the pandemic forever changed our ability to learn?

These were just some of the fascinating discussion points featured in a new study published in Raconteur in The Times. You can view the full infographic on the transformation of workplace learning here or read on to discover some of the key takeaways.

Employees preferred choice of learning pre-pandemic

How do your employees prefer to learn: With others, alone, online? According to research, before the introduction of social distancing and lockdowns, the majority of employees (64%) favoured learning either face-to-face in a classroom with a group or one-on-one, compared to 13% who preferred online learning.

The rise of digital learning

Even before the pandemic forced workforces online, the demand for digital learning was increasing. Over the past two to three years, mobile device-based learning increased 70%, and both AR & VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) learning and online learning increased by 64%.     

At the start of the pandemic, the demand grew further with 82% of senior business stakeholders and 71% of end users reporting a higher demand for digital learning.

Digital transformation in 2020

Despite the increase in demand for digital learning, a large majority of businesses (65%) said that their current learning platform was not seen as fit for modern workplaces.

Just 15% of companies had completed the digital transformation of their learning capabilities in 2020, with 76% reporting that their transformation was a work in progress. 

The most popular eLearning courses

Although the statistics suggest more work is needed on digital transformation, the overwhelming majority of learners described their learning experience as either 'very good' (43%) or 'good' (52%).

The most popular eLearning course categories were:

• Workplace health and safety training (77.8%)
• Business compliance (45.9%)
• HR compliance (43.6%)
• Soft skills (21.5%)
• Other (5.4%)

As people development specialists, we'd love to discuss your current workplace learning needs, so please get in touch.

References


by Andy Nicol 11 Mar, 2024
Andy Nicol explores how technological innovation, global economic outlook and sustainable finance will be crucial challenges for Financial Services to overcome in 2024.
by ABSTRACT 26 Feb, 2024
ABSTRACT are proud to be named a finalist in the British HR Awards 2024, in recognition of our work as Learning and Development consultants.
by Mark Fryer 14 Feb, 2024
In the future, Sustainable Investing will be the norm, there will be no alternative... however, the journey to get there is proving turbulent!
by Sue Liburd 25 Jan, 2024
Traditional models of leadership and management find themselves under growing scrutiny and challenge. Sue Liburd shares how a new wave of leadership can spark change this year.
by David Nikolich 16 Jan, 2024
What if you could intermittently tap into an assigned, accredited, and purposeful coach to help you through challenges at work? David Nikolich shares how a Professional Coach can make a real difference to your career in 2024...
by Nick Goddard 12 Dec, 2023
The FCA have warned advisers that they will need to step up on sustainable investing, with details on future plans to be published in the coming months. If you are not engaging in conversation with your clients and prospective clients on Sustainable Investing now, then others certainly will do.
Show More
Share by: