The Learning Platform - digitalising our leadership curriculum
In 2020, we introduced a new leadership curriculum focusing on digital delivery. The Learning Platform played a crucial role, enabling personalised learning, exploration, and collaboration. We moved the entire leadership curriculum online, accelerating the shift towards self-directed learning.
Lessons learned during the pandemic
Learners can access a wide range of content, and the platform suggests material based on their interests. We saw a positive response, with learners engaging in optional modules on sustainability and other topics. While virtual training became the norm during the pandemic, some hands-on training remains irreplaceable. We plan to retain virtual training for around two-thirds of our portfolio and revert to classroom training for the remaining third. Overall, the pandemic has accelerated the acceptance of virtual training, and we are working towards a sustainable hybrid learning and development system.
Image: Virtual learning allows learners to collaborate with others in real-time
In addition to the successful implementation of the new leadership curriculum and the Learning Platform, the pandemic gave us an opportunity to reimagine our approach to learning and development. As the shift to virtual training became necessary, we quickly adapted, upskilling our instructors and co-hosts to deliver engaging virtual sessions.
Virtual learning offered a different dynamic, allowing learners to collaborate with others in real-time, fostering a sense of community and shared knowledge. While traditional classroom learning has its merits, we found that virtual training, with its flexibility and accessibility, proved to be highly effective for the majority of our courses.
Results – a hybrid learning system
With dedication and effort, we managed to transition 90% of our instructor-led courses to virtual delivery, prioritising the most essential ones. As we continue to fine-tune our approach, we aim to design content explicitly tailored for virtual delivery, ensuring an engaging and meaningful learning experience for all participants.
The success of our virtual training initiatives has been a catalyst for driving lasting change in our learning and development strategies. We recognise that a hybrid system, combining virtual and classroom training, offers a sustainable and adaptable approach to cater to the diverse needs of our learners.
Looking ahead – flexibility and accessibility for an empowered workforce
As we move forward, our goal is to maintain the positive aspects of virtual training while preserving essential hands-on learning opportunities for specific skills and machinery. This hybrid model allows for increased flexibility and scalability and aligns with the changing expectations of our learners and customers.
The pandemic's impact on our approach to learning and development has been significant, accelerating the acceptance and integration of virtual training into our long-term strategy. We are excited about the prospects of this transformation and are committed to delivering meaningful, impactful, and accessible learning experiences to empower our workforce for continued success.