Does learning and development have a bad reputation?

There is a misconception that learning and development training has little benefit, however, it has in fact been proven to add value and exceed business targets.

In many businesses and organisations, the attitude towards learning and development training is that while it costs money, it is not always effective and finances can be better spent elsewhere. Even when this attitude towards learning and development is only held by a select few, its negativity can trickle down throughout the company.

With budgets tighter than they ever have been before, HR departments and learning coordinators within businesses are being told to focus more on required learning while employees are finding they have less and less time for learning development.

In short, learning and development is becoming hugely undervalued in a time when it is more crucial than ever before. With the birth of the internet of things (IoT) and the rapid enhancement of technology, in order to keep up with the ever-evolving digital age businesses must utilise learning and development. By pushing this to one side, companies are doing themselves a disservice and, one could argue, working themselves out of a job.

Why is L&D so important?

Learning and development should no longer be seen as unimportant butbe regarded as a strategic solution provider that delivers results that positively contribute to the growth of profit. When there are problems, HR departments and senior members of staff within a company should look to e-learning and online development training as a first choice solution to the problem.

When it comes to achieving both short and long-term growth aspirations, learning and development should have a key strategic role in helping every performance-focused organisation. It is also crucial for employee development and staff retention - workers that feel as though they can progress and further their career with company training are much more likely to stay with a businessfor longer.

With the upcoming UK election, and now that Article 50 has been triggered, according to the Office of National Statistics, worker productivity across the country is at its lowest point relative to other nations. So what better time to step up learning and development training?

How can change happen?

In order for training to occur within a business, those in charge of managing learning and development must show the results it can have, explaining to employees that it will be highly beneficial in the short and long-term. This will require changing the relationship that learning and development has with the rest of business.

By understanding the KPIs and goals of a company, training can be focused in these areas to develop employee capability, knowledge and competence. Hence making learning and development a valuable asset that the business will want to capitalise upon.

While one challenge is getting others on board with learning and development, another is delivering the promise that training is worth it and that it will result in employees acquiring required skills and inncreased knowledge. This means putting what employees have learned, into practice so they do not forget the course content.

E-learning courses that use blended learning as way to engage users and staff are proven to be more effective than traditional training methods. This means using video, interactive quizzes, online articles and other types of content. Virtual College is one of the leading providers of e-learning in the UK. We offer online learning resources and tools that help with workplace training at many levels of business.