Training key to tech success

Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are creating pressure to adapt to stay relevant.

Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are not only reshaping the way we live and work but also creating pressure to adapt to stay relevant.

This is the case across most industries, at all levels. The winners in this era of global digitisation are professionals and companies that have modernised their practices to provide products and services faster and more efficiently. The big question that looms is how to compete in this changing climate.

First things first: statistics indicate Australia has catching up to do. The latest World Digital Competitiveness rankings show Australia slipped one place to 14th out of 63 and our nation’s greatest weaknesses are digital and technological skills.

The 2019 Global Innovation Index positions Australia in 22, well behind the US (third), Britain (fifth) and China (14th).

When you consider that by 2030 up to 375 million workers will need to switch occupational categories as a result of automation it’s clear we need a fundamental reform in professional development.

The days of sending employees to daylong, run-of-the-mill training programs are behind us. Organisations need to be more pragmatic, consistent and agile in their approach.

According to Jennifer LePage, director of e-learning design and development at Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, business leaders need to establish professional development programs based on strategy, process, culture, content, delivery methods and technology.

A strategy based on these principles will help create a modern workplace learning culture that empowers professionals to acquire new skills and competencies, and/or develop those they already have.

It will help them do this in an on-demand way, through personalised learning programs delivered within digital platforms that draw on the latest resources — such as gamification and leaderboards — for the most engaging, relevant training experiences.

Across time, through this investment, employers will foster an environment comprising the best talent in the industry. They will also establish a reputation for their training programs, which will attract personnel looking to advance their careers by working with the most forward-thinking organisations in their industries.

A Deloitte study revealed a strong learning culture led to higher engagement rates and made employees 52 per cent more productive, 92 per cent likelier to develop innovative products, and 56 per cent likelier to be first to market with new products.

Importantly, once this type of approach is undertaken it needs to be sustained or it will fall by the wayside. A “whole view’’ means converting learning into practice so that new skills and knowledge can be applied instantly.

These then can be refined further through periodic releases of bite-sized training programs to build those capabilities, allowing employers to monitor performance as employees progress their learning.

Let’s think about this from the perspective of the healthcare sector. The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists has changed the way it delivers training to more than 10,000 members. Through a tech-led approach, ANZCA developed active, competency-based digital learning experiences tailored for the specific needs of its members.

For example, certified anaesthetists have access to various specialised courses from addressing bullying and sexual harassment to intercultural competencies and practical ethics. Trainees receive a wider range of learning courses to help with examination preparation.

The move bore prolific results, boosting course participation by 22 per cent in the first year of the modernised program. No longer confined to daylong courses in a centralised location, members can conduct their training anywhere and at any time.

Similar strategies have been adopted by organisations across industries, including professional associations, not-for-profit organisations, finance, and accounting. The transition to this type of model will help employees keep up with the speed of change.

Mark Yaxley is director, Australia and New Zealand, at D2L, an edtech and professional development platform provider.