Organisations Investing More in L&D as Workforces Move Towards Integrated Learning
The L&D function needs to ensure it has the skills it needs to deliver new learning, as a third of organisations plan to increase their training budget.
New research from learning and development (L&D) benchmarking company Towards Maturity and their strategic partner the CIPD (the professional body for HR and people development), highlights the need for L&D professionals to invest more in themselves in order to respond to the fast-changing needs of employees and businesses, with one in three organisations planning to increase their training spend in the next two years.
The report, Preparing for the Future of Learning: A Changing Perspective for L&D Leaders, which studied more than 600 learning leaders, 1,800 learners and 170 L&D professionals and members of CIPD’s Leaders in Learning Network, and identified key areas where the L&D profession is planning to invest to ensure it is fit for the future. It found that over the next two years, most L&D teams plans to increase team capacity in online delivery (53%), social and collaborative learning (49%) and coaching/mentoring (48%). Less popular areas include classroom training (23%), suggesting a move away from face-to-face learning and a move towards supporting performance in the flow of work.
The research also reveals that L&D leaders are clearly enthusiastic about the future impact of learning, with 86% wanting to improve business performance. Currently, 61% proactively align L&D activity to strategic goals in businesses, however, just 36% of L&D professionals actually have a plan for how they will meet agreed business metrics. One in three are proactive in understanding how learners currently learn what they need for their job, suggesting possible gaps between intention and capability.
Commenting on the findings, Towards Maturity Founder and CEO Laura Overton, said: “Learning leaders recognise they need to act now to transform the way they support learning and work. Top performing L&D teams are 3-5 times more likely to be delivering improved productivity and agility today and have much to teach us. This research highlights the fact that L&D teams must develop new mind-sets and skills, quickly. Advocating for learners, whilst not staying up-to-speed with how staff are learning for themselves, or the latest developments in learning, may set L&D apart from how the business works and what it requires to succeed in the future.”
The report also finds that on average, only a fifth (19%) of organisations’ L&D budget is spent on technology, despite the workforce becoming more digital and technologically-dependent. Also, just 23% agree that their L&D teams have the skills to use technology for business advantage. The report urges L&D professionals to take control of their own development. Currently, only half (54%) of organisations provide L&D staff with formal continuing professional development (CPD).
Andy Lancaster, CIPD Head of Learning and Development Content, commented: “It’s really positive to see so many organisations planning investment in learning and development over the next couple of years. However, the world of work is changing and organisations are increasingly looking for more modern approaches to learning that support the fast-moving world of work and the needs of an increasingly digital workforce. The expectation on the L&D function is therefore high, and L&D professionals need to ensure that they are as agile as the organisations they operate in.”
The report highlights six areas in which L&D teams can have greater impact. They are:
- Leverage learning optimism
- Integrate learning and work
- Actively seek to understand ‘internal customers’
- Put technology on the learning agenda
- Think digitally
- Invest in new L&D skills
The report can be downloaded for free at:
www.towardsmaturity.org/in-focus/2016/futurelearn
Laura Overton and Andy Lancaster will be discussing the key findings of the report at the CIPD’s annual Learning & Development Show, 11-12 May 2016 at London Olympia. For more information on the speakers, seminars and exhibition, visit: www.cipd.co.uk/LDshow
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Laura Overton is available for interview. Contact 0208 542 2331 or email [email protected] if you would like to book a conference call.
Data for this report is drawn from the Towards Maturity 2015 Benchmark™ research with over 600 L&D leaders, reported in Embracing Change (to download, visit: www.towardsmaturity.org/2015benchmark - See Appendix B for study methodology and participant demographics). The benchmarking review process included questions on the priority skills for L&D professionals and how they are acquired.
Reference is also made in this report to Towards Maturity’s Learning Landscape™ research, which explored how individuals learn what they need to do their job. Data is from two sources in this report: 1,600 workers using learning services within their own company (gathered in 2015) and 200 L&D professionals who have invested their own money in online learning (gathered in 2016). Evidence is also included from around 170 L&D professionals who attended CIPD Leaders in Learning network events around the UK in Spring 2016.
About the CIPD
The CIPD is the professional body for HR and people development. The not for profit organisation champions better work and working lives and has been setting the benchmark for excellence in people and organisation development for more than 100 years. It has 140,000 members across the world, provides thought leadership through independent research on the world of work, and offers professional training and accreditation for those working in HR and learning and development. www.cipd.co.uk