Daphne Kis, CEO, WorldQuant University.
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Lego is not the company you may think it is. With its $1 billion investment in Epic Games and acquisition of BrainPOP, the company is further positioning itself as a leader in the edtech industry—and the company's 2022 investment spree isn't its first foray into learning and education. For decades, Lego has worked toward making learning more experiential. The future of learning is increasingly virtual, and Lego has reinvented itself to meet that reality head-on.
Another learning revolution is occurring throughout the world. In 2020, the World Economic Forum found that for workers planning to remain in their roles, 50% would need reskilling or upskilling by 2025. This is education's next big challenge. As more people seek reskilling and upskilling, companies must look for ways to optimize for lifelong learning.
If companies like Lego can reinvent themselves to meet the needs of the next generation, what lessons can business leaders take from others to meet the needs of tomorrow's workforce?
Purposeful Play
A study found children who learn through play can develop motivation, persistence, creativity and confidence that their more traditional counterparts lack. Reskilling and training sites like Centrical, BetterUp and ReSkills understand that adult brains can also respond positively to narrative, challenge and reward. They design personal and group learning games, and then track engagement and performance of workers.
Learning taking place through gamification, simulations and other methods can increase neural plasticity, creating new pathways in the brain: “Neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses.”
Know Your Risks
Over the years, companies have sought to implement new ways of learning. As early as 1979, Motorola's CEO drafted a five-year training program to upskill employees. They eventually launched Motorola University—a global university that brought Six Sigma to the business world.
Motorola’s Six Sigma training programs continued for decades with a successful implementation at GE under Jack Welch, who spent $1 billion on training employees on the system. Since then the system has declined in popularity, but these stories remind us of the risk in placing too small of a bet on modernizing upskilling and reskilling programs.
During the global pandemic, the development and use of education technology exploded. It made learning more accessible—"both in terms of helping pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities and in making learning less location-dependent."
The digital transformation was happening long before Covid-19. However, once the pandemic forced businesses fully online and fully remote, the adoption of digital technologies sped up by several years. Covid-19 forced businesses to place bigger bets on digital-first upskilling and reskilling. Small pilot programs and overly cautious investments in digital were themselves a bigger risk.
Just as pedagogy and methodology change, the vehicle that delivers learning has changed. Digital spaces are where learning is happening. It's crucial for companies to migrate to digital spaces in order to reskill and upskill their workforces and equip them with the right digital skills to power their digital transformation.
Three Keys To Upskilling And Reskilling
1. Technology must be core to reskilling and upskilling efforts.
While some organizations are struggling to cross the digital divide, other businesses are already experimenting with using virtual reality simulations to upskill. After using a game-based simulation, a digital agency found that 88% of their managing directors who participated "reported a much better understanding of their responsibilities and improved decision-making skills; 90% said their ability to collaborate with other lines of business had also improved."
Those are good results, but here's the key: Those simulations outperformed prior forms of classroom training and reduced the total training time by 70%. Notably, the simulations leverage technology to do what the classroom can't do.
For those just getting started with technology to reskill and upskill, it's important to start with a clear learning goal. Determine what skills you want to acquire and what outcomes you hope to achieve through reskilling and upskilling. This will help you focus your learning efforts and choose the right technology tools for your needs.
Once you're ready to get started, test the waters. Take advantage of free trials or demo versions to test the user experience and ensure that it meets your needs. There are numerous online learning platforms and resources available that offer courses, tutorials and certification programs in a number of subjects. Try as many as you can until you find the kind that speaks to you.
2. Reskilling and upskilling must be free and accessible.
Tyson, PepsiCo and other major businesses are forming partnerships to provide debt-free education benefit programs to their employees. In making these offerings free and easily accessible, businesses can drive employee engagement both in their existing roles and in ongoing reskilling and upskilling programs that help advance their careers.
Companies should also leverage their networks. Establish mentorship programs where employees are matched with seasoned leaders who can share their expertise. Another option is to invite industry specialists to conduct training sessions or workshops for employees.
It's important to note that one of the biggest things a company can do to make sure these opportunities are accessible is to offer flexible work arrangements that allow employees to balance their work and learning commitments.
By providing a variety of free and accessible resources, companies can foster a culture of continuous learning and drive employee engagement and career advancement.
3. It takes significant investment.
In 2019, PwC committed to bridging the digital divide and invested $3 billion in reskilling their own workers.
To ensure that reskilling and upskilling are prioritized and adequately funded, company leaders need to effectively communicate the benefits to the wider organization. It's important to highlight how these initiatives align with the company's goals and meet the specific needs of the business. For example, if the company is facing retention challenges, demonstrate how reskilling and upskilling programs can help increase employee retention and improve job performance. A 2014 study found that 42% of new employees were more likely to stay with the company when they received job-specific training.
By making the case for reskilling and upskilling in this way, company leaders can secure buy-in and investment from other executives and decision-makers.
These companies show us that it is still possible to transform. By embracing new technologies and innovative learning methods, companies can foster lifelong learning and prepare their employees for the future.
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