With new technological advancements paving the way in business today, it is important for companies to embrace these new methods to ensure employees continue to develop new skills and abilities.

Research shows that along with the inevitability of technology taking over the workplace, employers are embracing modern ways to train their staff.  There has been a shift away from instructor-led training towards online training.

A 2006 study by The E-Learning Guild provided the following findings:

The majority of all learning happens while a person is on the job. Online training courses encourage learning through discussion and reflection. Using e-learning tools to support this type of informal learning is, and will continue to become increasingly prevalent in today's organisations, as the below findings illustrate:

Joe Pulichino notes in the same e-Learning Guild article that, "e-Learning remains a rapidly growing practice with a bright future in the vast majority of our respondents' organizations - indeed, 75% believe the term 'e-Learning' serves a useful purpose and is here to stay for the foreseeable future."

All findings suggest that e-Learning will be an integral part of any development program in the future and those who chose to embrace this type of training, will be ahead of the competition.  Taking online training on board now will benefit your company's chance of keeping up with technological advancements in the future.

 

With an increasingly competitive work force and the technological growth that continues to take place, it is becoming progressively important for companies to retain key staff.   Janet Clarey notes in the 2007 article E-Learning 101: An Introduction to E-Learning, Learning Tools, and Technologies, that, "61% of 209 leading HR professionals said that they believe that a 'war on talent' was currently under way."  It is one step to employ the best staff members for each position but it is a fundamental need to retain these valuable employees.

Companies that provide ongoing staff development are taking positive steps toward employee satisfaction.  The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a recent survey which showed that, "more than half of all employees cite employee development as the number one reason for staying with their current jobs, and employers who offer employee development programs.....experience 16% higher employee retention rates."  By providing continuing training options, staff will feel motivated to take learning into their own hands and develop their own training program.