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Skills gaps are an ever-present challenge faced by businesses, with an increasing number of organisations reporting a disconnect between the required skills to execute their strategic vision, and the skills that are available to them. With challenges and opportunities constantly arising from factors such as digital transformation, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the transition to a net-zero economy, this skills problem is set to continue, and only become more intense, for the foreseeable future.
To address these challenges, companies need a robust strategy to help them identify and close these skills gaps. For education organisations, this represents a significant opportunity to forge partnerships with private industry clients, helping them to overcome these challenges through active collaboration and tailored skills development programs.
Identifying the Gap
To effectively close skill gaps, you must first correctly identify where they exist within the business. Education organisations can offer invaluable assistance in this crucial phase through conducting a Training Needs Analysis (TNA), evaluating the skills and knowledge gaps that exist within an organisation. Through needs assessment, gap analysis and an understanding of the business’ learning objectives, educators can develop a rich understanding of the business’ needs and design a learning plan that will deliver the right suite of skills.
An effective Training Needs Assessment not only reveals skills deficits, but also allows for a more efficient allocation of resources, helping increase the overall ROI of the learning program. Education organisations play a pivotal role in this process by facilitating an in-depth understanding of the skills landscape within the partner organisation.
Developing Soft Skills
In addition to addressing specific technical skill gaps, education organisations assist enterprise clients in developing transferable soft skills. These skills, such as critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence, are universally applicable across the entire organisation and improving such skills further supports each participant as they build other, role-specific skills and operate within their role.
Through incorporating soft skills development into their training programs, education organisations empower enterprise clients with a holistic approach to skill enhancement, fostering a more versatile and resilient workforce.
Creating Custom Learning Journeys
One-size-fits-all training programs often fall short in addressing the unique needs and capabilities of different organisations and their employees. Education organisations can make a significant impact by creating custom learning journeys that are tailored to the specific skill needs of the business client. These personalised learning paths enhance engagement and improve knowledge retention, streamlining the pathway to the practical application of skills within the workplace.
Education organisations can provide solutions that emphasise personalisation and customisation of learning at every stage of learning development:
- Skill Mapping: Conducting a comprehensive assessment of the partner organisation's available skill landscape to identify gaps and prioritise key learning objectives
- Content Customisation: Developing or selecting learning materials that align with the needs and motivations of the organisation’s staff, and with the organisation's industry, culture, and strategic goals
- Learning Modalities: Education partners can offer diverse learning experiences, such as online courses, workshops, simulations, and mentorship, to cater to different learning preferences and provide optimal delivery modes right across a business
- Progress Monitoring: Regularly tracking participant's progress allows education providers to adjust the learning journey as needed to ensure alignment with the organisation's objectives
Customised learning journeys not only make training more engaging and effective but also keep it relevant and contextual for employees, motivating them to embrace continuous learning as a part of their professional journey, as they experience a rapid path from learning to application.
Empower Mentorship Opportunities
Mentoring and coaching programs play a critical role in enhancing the learning experience within the workplace. There are several methods that education organisations can employ to support their partners to provide effective mentorship:
- Mentor Training: Education partners can provide courses and resources to help mentors build the necessary skills to guide and support staff effectively
- Learning Data: Sharing meaningful learning data with mentors, such as common misconceptions and drop-off points within learning, can help them understand their mentees' progress and challenges, enabling more targeted and constructive interactions
- In-Depth Learning Conversations: Educators, and client organisations, can foster mentor-mentee relationships that extend beyond learning activities by encouraging structured, ongoing discussions around the learning and its application within the workplace
Track Progress and Measure Outcomes
Measuring the impact of education and training is crucial for both education organisations and enterprise clients. The focus should extend beyond simple pass/fail or score metrics and delve into more detailed measures of learning progress and outcomes. Education partners can assist their client organisations by providing deeper and more detailed learning data:
- Progress Metrics: Monitoring staff progression through the material and tracking their achievements at various stages allows educators to identify areas of improvement for learners, and address potential roadblocks before they become more serious problems
- Common Misconceptions: Learning data can allow for the identification of common misconceptions that occur, letting educators adjust the learning journey to provide additional support in these areas to de-risk the learning process
- Confidence Assessment: Measuring participants' confidence levels before and after training provides insights into the effectiveness of the training and its impact on self-assurance and performance
- ROI Assessment: Utilising advanced analytics to connect learning outcomes with the organisation's key performance indicators (KPIs) enables both educators and their clients to assess the direct impact of training on the metrics that matter to business success
By providing these insights and data-driven feedback, educators can help enterprise clients make informed decisions and continuously optimise their learning and development strategies.
The collaboration between education organisations and private industry clients is a partnership that yields substantial benefits for both parties, with education organisations helping enterprise clients not only identify skills gaps, but develop targeted learning programs that address the specific needs and circumstances of the organisation and help them to deliver the skills they need to succeed.
Guroo Learning is dedicated to helping education organisations take advantage of the Enterprise Education Opportunity – find out more here, or set up a meeting with us to discuss your needs today.