Changes in technology and the management of learning mean the key challenge for trainers is embedding learning deep into working processes.
That was the theme which emerged from the Moving Learning 2006 seminars, which ran in the United Kingdom and in The Netherlands.
Alfred Remmits, CEO of LearningGuide, the organisers of Moving Learning 2006, said: “People are increasingly learning in informal ways using the internet, blogs, instant messaging, indeed all of the new ways of communicating that have emerged in recent years.
“The learning provider community must now embrace informal learning by embedding its learning content into these places also in informal ways so that workers find learning an entirely natural experience and simply part of their jobs and the tasks that they do.
“Learning providers must guard against formalising informal learning,” he added. “There is a danger that learning providers will reproduce the formal learning techniques that they are most familiar with. This would be a big mistake as learners will always seek informal routes to their answers.
“Embedding learning deep into working processes, so that it’s always there, right at the moment of need, must now become the focus of the learning industry.”
Charles Jennings, global head of learning, Reuters, talked about the huge reduction in the percentage of knowledge that professionals need to keep in their heads in order to do their jobs, shifting from around 75 per cent in 1986 to around 20 per cent in 1997 and estimated at around 10 per cent today.
“Increasing the performance of professionals now depends upon their ability to quickly find the knowledge needed to complete tasks and not on the knowledge learnt during education and training,” he explained, adding that further reductions in knowledge kept are forecast.
Alison Hollas, head of L&D shared services at ntl Telewest, said: “Measuring the impact of learning in terms understood by our business managers, for example increasing employee longevity and reductions in time-to-job impact and in recruitment costs has helped managers to identify where learning can help them and to focus their efforts in the most important areas of employee development. When managers see the direct influence of learning they take greater interest and involvement in it.”
