New digital technologies like e-learning platforms, AI, and Machine learning are radically transforming the corporate training landscape. Companies, trainers, and employees need to embrace them with open arms.

A skilled workforce is an absolute necessity for organizations and companies to respond quickly to the challenges of an ever-changing, volatile, and uncertain business environment.

It’s not enough that the employees are skilled, but they need to be upgrading their existing skills as well as learn new ones constantly.

So far, the conventional instructor-led classroom training sessions have been serving the training needs of companies and their employees. Typically, instructor-led training will have a batch of employees, herded together into a classroom. The training sessions may last for a few hours to several days.

While the instructor or the trainer imparted knowledge and training, the employees are passive receptors rather than active participants. There is little room for creativity and innovation. Moreover, the trainers struggled to meet the requirements and expectations of corporates and their employees. Consequently, the impact of these training on employees’ efficiency and productivity has been uneven.

New digital technologies like audio, video, video conferencing, e-learning platforms, MOGL  (Multi-Player Online Games for Learning), Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Gamification are redefining the way training is done. They have opened up a range of new possibilities of training and learning in ways we could hardly imagine.

Welcome to new-age learning!

Now, the employees enjoy a degree of autonomy, freedom, and flexibility that they never had before. They are freed from the constraints of classroom training. The new technologies have given them the flexibility of learning the skills as per their needs and at a time of their choosing and at their own pace.

Courses are available in text, audio-visual, and colorful animation formats that can be accessed anywhere, anytime through multiple platforms like desktop, laptop, and mobile phones. So, learning happens on the go!

Here, the learners are active participants rather than passive receptors. Innovatively designed courses not only help them understand the concepts easily but also explore them creatively. This kind of Active Learning promotes creativity, critical thinking, and speed.

Technologies like Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have made Collaborative Learning possible.  Now, employees can collaborate with their team members or across teams and share their experiences and knowledge with them which is called as “Social Learning”.This helps them not only understand real-world experiences but also builds better cohesion and co-operation among team members.

The results have been positive. The employees are better skilled, highly motivated, more efficient, and productive and responsible. They are better able to take charge of their careers and find professional fulfillment.

Companies are discovering the advantages of such training and are keen to invest in tools and technologies.

As for the trainers, they are beginning to appreciate their changing role. Now, they are more of an enabler, facilitator, and mentor than just the trainer.

And the goal of Learning?

Enable, Empower, and Enrich.