Less than half of UK employees have access to both online and offline training courses
Only 15% reached out to their employers for more opportunities despite 81% believing learning and development are important
Mismatch: 85% of employers believe they take employees’ requests for personal development seriously, with only 41% of employees agreeing
UK companies are still struggling to drive the training and development agenda, as 23% of employees don’t have access to any personal development opportunities. According to research by GoodHabitz, the digital learning provider, only 43% of UK employees can access both online and offline courses, which shows there is still more work to do, especially compared to European countries like Denmark (55%) and the Netherlands (51%).
However, despite limited access to training courses, UK employees are not being proactive enough in approaching their employers – only 15% have actively reached out about it, compared to 39% of European employees. Yet, 81% of the UK workforce believe it to be important or very important to learn and acquire new knowledge or skills. Employers agree – 81% believe their employees would be happier in their current roles if they had further opportunities for personal development.
GoodHabitz surveyed 13,000 employees across Europe, including the views of over 2600 senior learning and development decision-makers, to understand the current state of personal development at work.
Mark Thompson, UK Manager of GoodHabitz, explained:
“Creating a learning culture within an organisation cannot ever be one person’s job. It needs community with individual, team and organisational commitment. It’s discouraging to see that almost a quarter of UK employees still don’t have access to development training. Perhaps UK employers feel like there’s no time to invest in personal development, that it’s not a priority.
“UK employees are showing signs of reluctance too. Given that 65% of UK employees claim a lack of personal development opportunities is a reason to seek out a new employer, it’s surprising that more HR and L&D managers aren’t addressing personal development opportunities, especially when skill-building can be the answer to closing the talent gap. The cost of labour is very high, and organisations’ usual approach to hiring talent to plug gaps is not always the solution – increasingly, HR and L&D managers are looking to personal development, especially in the age of automation where having strong human or soft skills will be highly sought after as we continue integrating technology into every aspect of our lives.”
When surveying employers, the research found that 85% of UK organisations felt they were taking employee requests for online training seriously. However, over 59% of employees didn’t believe this to be true.
“Compared to other countries, the UK scores quite low. Other countries such as Germany (90%), Italy (91%) and Spain (96%) perform better in bridging this gap, so UK employees can learn from their European counterparts by listening to the employee feedback and taking action,” said Thompson.
Accessibility is also a very important aspect when it comes to personal development, as half of UK employees (50%) prefer to work on their personal development at work and at home.
The GoodHabitz Current State of Personal Development at Work report can be downloaded here.
About GoodHabitz
GoodHabitz, founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, is a leading European provider of E-Learning solutions. By offering engaging and fun online courses, from soft skills to digital skills and languages, GoodHabitz contributes to the personal development of every employee. Various engaging learning formats make sure that the content is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Coaches help to establish learning cultures in the organisation and all that for one fixed price. Currently, more than 2,500 companies, like Puma, ADAC or DEKRA upgrade their workforce with GoodHabitz. More than 400 employees are working for GoodHabitz in offices all over Europe. Please visit the website www.goodhabitz.com for more information.
80% of employees expect their job to become more digitally focused in the next two years
46% believe digital skills will be one of the top skills to focus on in the future
Yet, up to 53% of employees believe they are currently lacking digital skills to sufficiently perform their work
Concerns rise as 58% of workers say not having the right skills affects their team and collaboration in a negative way
More than half of employees lack digital skills despite roles becoming more digitally focused, according to Europe’s fastest-growing digital learning provider, GoodHabitz. It conducted a survey of 24,235 employees across the UK, Europe, Latin America and Australia asking what role personal development played in their lives and what organisations need to do to fulfil their needs at work. It highlighted a major shift towards digital roles, with 80% of employees expecting this to happen in the next two years.
The survey found that 46% of workers believe that digital skills will be one of the top skills to focus on towards the future. As 61% feel the need to reskill themselves to stay successful in the future, this highlights the challenge for organisations to provide L&D opportunities.
Mark Thompson, UK Manager of GoodHabitz, said:
“There is enormous demand to improve digital skills, especially as more than half of the global workforce (54%) is working fully or partially remotely. It’s somewhat surprising then, that up to 53% of employees believe they lack digital skills to sufficiently perform their work.
“Many employees are acutely aware that they want to be prepared for the future and they need their employers’ support. Having a workforce that is fit for the future requires more than giving them access to the skills they believe are important for work. It’s equally important to invest in the skills that they are intrinsically motivated to learn.”
Indeed, skills development does not have a one-size-fits-all approach, and GoodHabitz research showed that employees from different generations want to focus on different sets of skills. For instance, while 33% of respondents aged 35-49 and 36% of those aged 50+ wanted to focus on digital skills in the coming years, 33% of younger workers are more focused on management and leadership skills.
“Without the right tools to succeed, the gap between current and future skills will continue to grow. But what if an employer doesn’t respond to the need for these skills? Here it’s clear too – 58% of the employees say that not having the right skills affects their team and collaboration in a negative way,” concluded Thompson.
The GoodHabitz ‘Bridge the Skills’ report is available to download here.
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About GoodHabitz
GoodHabitz, founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, is a global provider of E-Learning solutions. By offering engaging and fun online courses, from soft skills to digital skills and languages, GoodHabitz contributes to the personal development of every employee. Various engaging learning formats make sure that the content is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Coaches help to establish learning cultures in the organisation and all that for one fixed price. Currently, more than 2,500 companies, like Puma, Sony and Philips, upgrade their workforce with GoodHabitz. More than 500 employees are working for GoodHabitz in offices all over Europe. Please visit the website www.goodhabitz.com for more information.
Grayce has been awarded preferred supplier status as part of Public Sector Resourcing’s (PSR) Recruit Train Deploy (RTD) service. This will enable the business to provide Grayce’s Hire, Train, Deploy and Develop solutions to the public sector, ensuring digital transformation is supported, new skills are brought to the public sector and emerging talent is given the spotlight it deserves.
The appointment will enable Grayce to directly deliver services across Central Government, Local Government, Health and the wider public sector through a recognised and compliant framework. Expanding on its existing public sector capability, the company will provide these organisations with carefully selected Grayce talent, employed by Grayce, and supported through tailored development pathways encompassing digital, data and business skills, while supported by Grayce’s dedicated delivery team and support structure. Government organisations will have an option to permanently employ Grayce talent directly following completion of their development programme.
Flexible technical resource
Using Grayce enables clients to build and develop their technical and transformation teams as their business requirement grows. Grayce also attracts a diverse range of emerging talent with low risk to the clients – providing a proven model and high client satisfaction rates.
Jo Matkin
Jo Matkin, CEO at Grayce said: “We are delighted to be part of this procurement framework for the public sector. All organisations need to focus on their digital transformation right now, and I believe that by partnering with us for digital, data, commercial and transformation talent, we will not only match talent with business demand, but also equip the public sector with skills for the next generation.
Building individuals’ careers and clients’ talent capability
“Although our analysts are employed by us, as our clients’ needs change, they have the opportunity to take the analysts on as direct employees. Our business model enables us to help build individuals’ careers and clients’ talent capability. This means we can enhance their workforce, building digital and business skills for the future.”
For further information about how Grayce can help you meet the changing dynamics of your business, visit: www.grayce.co.uk
Statistics show that if their employer-provided opportunities for professional growth, 94% of workers would remain with the company for a longer period of time. However, even if your company provides its workers with enough educational opportunities, staying abreast of the latest developments may be difficult.
This is particularly true if many workers from various departments of the company are enrolling in courses covering a broad range of topics. A learning management system is useful in this situation, providing companies with an easy way to monitor staff training.
What Is a Learning Management System?
The ability to centrally organize, deliver, and assess corporate training resources is the primary function of a learning management system (LMS). An LMS simplifies eLearning for both the business and its learners, which could increase enrollment and participation.
There are hundreds of high-quality systems on the market, so it’s critical to choose the ideal one for your company’s aims and objectives. For example, if you’re a UK-based company and you want to choose the best learning management system UK-based, make sure to do your research and ask yourself whether the one you choose is the ideal option for your company.
If you’re still not sold, keep reading for seven key benefits this software can bring to your company.
Uninterrupted Flow of Educational Material
A business’s LMS lets instructors post their eLearning courses online, where they can be accessed from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. Instead of having to wait until the next training session to practice activities and resolve questions, trainees can simply review the course content anytime they need to.
It’s also a crucial tool for cross-continental education since it eliminates time zone barriers. Trainees from all around the globe can quickly access data for learning whenever and wherever they choose.
Updated Rules for Maintaining Compliance
As a great leader, you most likely understand the importance of regulatory compliance. Organizations that must routinely revise their compliance standards can greatly benefit from the use of an LMS. In contrast to the time and effort required to update a conventional course, the LMS can enable the addition of new compliance regulations to an online course in a matter of minutes. By doing so, your company has a better chance of staying compliant and avoiding fines.
Data Access and Storage Improvements
With an LMS in place, workers can quickly access any and all relevant materials from any of their own devices. All the information is kept in a single, safe digital repository. By doing so, you lessen the likelihood of losing data like status reports, user profiles, etc.
Learning management systems hosted in the cloud facilitate group work in virtual settings. Having quick and easy access to data greatly improves the speed and accuracy with which crucial choices may be made. It’s important that people can access the data quickly and be ready whenever they need it.
Keeps Tabs on Development and Efficiency
Learning management systems make it simple to monitor learning progress and output. This guarantees the success of the training program. When trainees report their progress, instructors can modify their instruction and provide them with the necessary supplements to help them succeed.
With the use of analytical tools, it’s possible to pinpoint the precise sections of this system that are deficient and in need of improvement. It also helps in determining whether a certain lesson is not providing sufficient clarity. You have access to the lesson and may alter it to suit your needs.
Cost-Effective Learning and Development
LMS is very cost-effective, particularly if there is a set budget for training and development. Extra costs for printing materials, renting a location, and hiring an instructor for training sessions can be eliminated since all of the content is immediately available online. Instead of sending staff all over the place, a single facility may serve as a hub for all training needs. A company may cut down on training expenses and time with the help of this technology.
Integrate Social Media Into the Learning Experience
LMS improves eLearning by letting instructors and students exchange useful reference links from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Sharing courses on social media may help bring in additional learners who are interested in taking the class. The reach of social media is unparalleled, and it also allows you to zero in on a certain demographic of people who may be interested in signing up for the course.
Course Revisions and Improvements
Logging into a learning management system and making a few edits in light of new information and trends is far more efficient than completely revamping an eLearning course. With everything in one place, it’s less of a hassle to make changes to the material and send out updates to the students. Rather than having to inform each trainee individually about the changes, this method is far more time- and cost-effective. Learners will be able to stay on top of changes made to their coursework thanks to alerts sent straight to their preferred devices.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it’s all about meeting the requirements of your business. While there is no magic formula for determining which learning management system is ideal for your company, you can narrow down your options by understanding what you want to achieve. Take your business to the next level by investing in a reliable LMS system.
Award winning HR & LD tech company Connectr today announced it is the first mentoring technology business to partner with the Learning Performance Institute (LPI) to bring more value to members. The partnership will enable the LPI to assist their members to address challenges such as staff retention, progression of talent and diversity and inclusion. Connectr will offer a 20% exclusive discount to LPI members on Connectr’s platform products including Connectr for Employees and Candidate for Candidates.
From today, Connectr will be the first mentoring technology partner to join the LPI’s growing membership offer. Connectr and the LPI’s mission, vision and values are perfectly aligned as LPI’s CEO Edmund Monk referenced mentoring as the one of the three critical skills for learning professionals in 2023.
In summer 2022, Connectr’s platform gained LPI accreditation for its mentoring technology following a rigorous assessment process. Connectr received high praise for its ongoing dedication to outstanding customer care, integrity, and impact. The LPI is the foremost accreditation and membership body for the learning sector with a global reputation. In February 2023, Connectr won Bronze at the LPI’s flagship awards ceremony for ‘Learning Platform of the Year 2023’.
LPI, CEO Edmund Monk said: “The LPI is delighted to partner with Connectr who deliver an award-winning HR and L&D technology platform that attracts, retains, develops and progresses candidates from all backgrounds. Connectr enables their partners to deliver on their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments and now at a discounted rate, our members can also access this powerful resource that will future proof their organisation with diverse, skilled and engaged talent.”
Connectr, CEO, Will Akerman said: ”We are thrilled to be the first mentoring technology partner with the LPI, both teams understand that L&D professionals need support when engaging and retaining talent. We hope that many LPI members sign up to Connectr’s mentoring platforms to ensure their organisations can access technology that empowers employees to progress and feel they belong to their place of work. We look forward to working closely with the LPI on research and development projects and to producing a series of webinars on how mentoring technology can alleviate L&D challenges.”
The business world is constantly changing, and with that, professional roles are also evolving. Hence, continuous professional development has become a hot topic in the labor industry to accommodate the shifting demand for skills.
For example, the arrival of the pandemic has forced workers to adapt to a new work environment, learning the necessary skills to thrive in a virtual workplace. That said, even under non-pandemic circumstances, most professionals can still benefit from continually learning and upgrading their skill sets.
This article shares the numerous benefits of developing yourself professionally. You can also read this professional development guide to understand more about upgrading your working self.
But, before anything else, let’s take a closer look at the basics.
Understanding Continuous Professional Development
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) refers to developing professional knowledge and skills through independent, participation-based, or interactive learning. Education doesn’t need to stop when you leave school or a university. CPD allows you to expand and develop your professional capabilities through self-guided or certified learning methods.
It involves having structured objectives for long- and short-term progression. Also, professionals engaging in CPD often keep records of new skills and knowledge attained to showcase skills to potential employers or reflect on their learning journey.
The Different Types Of Continuous Professional Development
While there are numerous types of CPD activities you can choose, they often fall into two categories:
Formal Continuous Professional Development
Formal CPD follows a structured format of learning. It has set curriculums often approved by professional bodies to ensure they are well-structured and effective. With this type of learning, a professional engages in interactive, participation-based learning provided by a third-party trainer other than the company they work for.
Formal CPD learning involves several professionals with various skill sets for the benefit of group activities and idea sharing. You can also find formal training with one-on-one sessions.
Most formal CPD often includes activities such as:
Offline and online training courses
Group events
Learning-oriented meetings and conferences
Offline and online lectures and seminars
Workshops
Any CPD-certified events
Most formal CPD activities require professionals to take career-oriented assessments and exams, which is valuable for measuring your progress.
Informal Continuous Professional Development
On the other hand, an informal CPD refers to independent or self-directed professional learning. With this type of CPD, professionals learn by finding their own activities and information sources without following a set curriculum.
An informal type of CPD typically involves:
Reading case studies and articles
Studying offline and online publications written by industry experts
Following industry-specific social news feeds
Additional studying for professional examinations
Listening and watching industry-related podcasts, YouTube videos, and webinars
If you’re going to do unstructured, self-directed CPD, writing a personal development plan that covers what you expect to learn and achieve is critical.
It’s best to engage in both types of continuous professional development, allowing you to achieve both benefits. Regardless of your choice, you want to reflect on your CPD learning, allowing you to determine where your current skills are and how you can improve and plan for your future CPD activities.
6 Benefits Of Investing In Your Continuous Professional Development
Taking extra training to develop professional skills can have numerous benefits for your career, even if you’re not expected to take CPD for your role. If you still haven’t considered doing CPD, here are a few reasons to convince you to start learning again.
1. It Brings New Opportunities
Whether you’re currently employed or looking for a new job, investing in your professional development can open new opportunities.
For instance, if you’ve just graduated, competing with other potential candidates is quite challenging. After all, there is a massive pool of degreed professionals. When applying for a job, you have several competitors with the same degree. So, how can you stand out from the crowd?
By having a few extra relevant training experiences and certifications. Even if it’s just a 2-week program you’ve completed online, having that extra line on your resume shows potential employers that you have something more to offer and gain a competitive edge among peers. It can make all the difference in landing new job opportunities.
Even if you’re currently employed, continuous professional development can still help improve your opportunities. Long gone are the days of getting a promotion solely based on work tenure. Worse, today’s system is rigged in that you may become redundant despite your loyalty to the company, and someone with higher entry-level skills with lesser pay may be hired to do your job.
Without continuous learning and development, you may be putting yourself at risk of unemployment sooner or later. By investing in your own development, you can upgrade your skills, making you more professionally desirable for your company and increasing your chances of getting that promotion you’ve wanted for a long time.
Regardless of where you are in your career journey, investing in continuing development can help attract new opportunities to your professional life.
2. It Supports Innovation
Learning skills outside your zone introduces you to different concepts and fresh ideas for innovation. By getting a broader understanding of a new subject, you can brainstorm more creative ways to handle related challenges and tasks.
After all, the best innovation seldom comes from someone who is always thinking outside the box. Getting a broader perspective and training can help enhance your critical thinking and improving productivity. It can also help you stand out from your peers or even branch out to create something revolutionary.
3. It Shows Dedication To Self-Development
Taking the time and effort to learn something new and upgrading your skill set is a testament to how you value growth and self-improvement–both professional and personal.
It also demonstrates your ambition, which is an important trait every professional must develop. While simply wanting to make your Curriculum Vitae (CV) more attractive should by no means serve as your primary motivation for undertaking CPD, it does exhibit your commitment to your profession. And any professional in it for the long haul will constantly look for new ways to learn and improve in their chosen craft.
4. It Improves Performance
When you make an extra effort to learn something new or advance your skills, it’s natural that overall performance and experience will also improve since you get to apply what you’ve learned in the real business world setting.
Most formal professional development programs help aim to teach concepts and theories to individuals while providing activities that help them apply these learnings in reality. In addition, these programs can do more than just help you develop technical skills–they help improve your soft skills, too.
Just think about it, when you’re balancing work and professional learning, you’ll learn better time management skills. When you’re given an assignment, you hone your creative skills. Programs can also set up group projects that help foster teamwork and resolve conflicts. It’s also a good way to practice your leadership and communication skills.
With continuous development, you’ll soon realize that you’ve become more efficient and productive doing your job while allowing you to take on more complex tasks.
5. It Helps You Stay Relevant And Updated
The world of work is constantly shifting. As the business world advances, staying updated with the latest trends in your industry has never been more important. This is particularly true for those in the technology sector, where everything seems to evolve at an alarming pace.
Staying up-to-date with the changing trends not only helps build a competitive advantage on your resume but also helps in improving your performance and results through a better understanding of your niche. Failing to keep your skills and knowledge relevant and up to date can quickly lead to your current learning and abilities becoming obsolete.
6. It Boosts Confidence
It’s a no-brainer that the more skills and experience you have in your professional toolkit, the more confident you become in leading, delivering, making decisions, and thriving in your current profession. Continuous development can give you ownership over all aspects of your professional career.
Acquiring new skills, and honing them, can also give you a sense of accomplishment, ultimately boosting your self-esteem. As a result, you become less nervous about taking on new duties and even more confident in grabbing new opportunities or tasks.
Takeaway
As you can see, continuous professional development is essential for most professions. Your career progress depends greatly on how often you engage in CPD. Without this, you may lag behind in the ever-changing world of work. Worse, you’ll become obsolete and will be replaced by those with the necessary skills to meet the demand of the modern workplace.
Regardless of what stage you are in your professional career—whether a newly-graduate worker or an experienced professional—continuous professional development is a proven route towards greater success.
Since the pandemic began, businesses have increasingly relied on HR professionals to run operations smoothly. From new digital technology to new strategies, the HR professionals handled it all. Companies continue to rely on them amid this digital transformation.
Now more than ever, the ‘people professions’ are a key unit for a successful business. And along with immense accomplishments comes greater expectations from those in this field. Thus, reskilling and upskilling remain huge priorities in the HR field.
Individuals in HR recognise the need to learn the latest skills to prepare for their roles. In fact, in 2022, there was a sustained level of reskilling and training. Reports by CIPD and Workday show that in the last year, 61% in this field have upskilled or reskilled.
Training is important for many reasons. For one, it allows HR managers to free up their time from repetitive, time-consuming tasks. To best manage people, they need to change the way they work. Also, HR professionals need to learn the latest software to keep up with digital changes. Knowledge of software such as Sage and Microsoft Office are more crucial than ever.
What Do HR Professionals Need to Learn?
HR personnel are training in direct response to the present needs of their job. Of those training, 34% said they were doing so in response to an immediate career need. So there is an urgent need for these workers to gain vital skills to succeed in their daily tasks.
What exactly are HR professionals upskilling and reskilling in? The biggest priority is supporting line managers in their people management (39%).
Data analysis skills are the second priority (27%). These skills help companies make data-backed decisions. They also help to guide the overall business strategy. Also, facilitating more flexible people operations tied with data analysis at 27%. This area includes things such as hybrid working or remote working.
Why Reskilling Current Employees is Important
Besides upskilling, reskilling is an important part of company success. It allows employees within the company to train for new positions. Then, they can grow within the company.
Also important, reskilling also reduces hiring costs for companies. A report from the Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC) and PwC UK found that reskilling could save businesses an average of £50,000 per employee, compared to bringing in new talent. Plus, for companies with 30,000+ employees, employee turnover can cost around £48.2 million a year. So investing in current employees can dramatically drive costs down.
Reskilling benefits those who wish to change roles or improve their roles in a company. Not only that, but it also creates loyal employees. Employees will appreciate that their employer is investing in them. Thus, it will drive their productivity and creates a stronger company.
Consider Training to Gain Necessary Skills
The data shows that the need for upskilling and reskilling will not slow down anytime soon. If you need to upskill or reskill to start an HR career, consider a professional training program. The HR manager courses and HR training programs at Pitman Training can help you achieve your goals. They can help HR professionals improve organisation, digital skills, communication, and more.
The expectations on HR departments are larger today than ever. Thus, HR professionals should upskill to gain the necessary skills for a job well done. Training ensures that they can continue to help companies run in the most efficient way possible. Also, companies should consider reskilling promising employees. It will save them money, increase employee loyalty, and create a successful business.
New research from O’Reilly, the premier source for insight-driven learning on technology and business, has revealed that demand for digitally skilled workers in UK vertical industries including technology, finance, ecommerce and retail, is outgrowing the level of digital skills available.
Yet, only half (51%) of British companies within these vertical industries are willing to spend more than £25,000 on recruitment and learning and development (L&D) combined, to boost skills such as cybersecurity, software architecture and data analysis.
Recruitment and L&D spend not aligned with skills most lacking
The new research, conducted by Censuswide in September 2022, surveyed 300 HR decision-makers within the technology, finance, ecommerce and retail industries (100 per industry) to identify the digital skills most in demand and potential barriers to upskilling staff.
More than a quarter (27%) of the HR decision makers surveyed say their organisation faces the biggest lack of skilled workers in cybersecurity, followed by software architecture (15%) and data analysis (14%). Despite this, only a third (33%) are willing to spend more than £10,000 on recruitment and L&D to hire cybersecurity talent. Meanwhile, the majority of organisations plan to spend no more than £10,000 on recruitment and L&D for data analysis (71%) and software architecture (68%) skills.
Instead, almost a third of organisations plan to spend up to or more than £20,000 on recruitment for AI and ML (32%) and cloud (31%). Additionally, more than a quarter of organisations will spend up to or more than £20,000 on AI and ML (29%) and cloud (28%) L&D to upskill employees. Organisations will spend the most on L&D for Gen Z (average £13,962), followed by £13,608 for Millennials and £13,495 for Gen X over the next twelve months.
Disparity in recruitment vs L&D spend
Encouragingly, the majority (83%) of vertical industries plan to spend between £25,000 – £50,000 on overall recruitment for skilled tech vacancies over the next twelve months. Yet, only 78% will spend the same amount on tech-related L&D.
The technology sector is planning to spend the most on overall recruitment (average of £33,676), compared to £31,651 on L&D. Additionally, the finance sector will spend an average of £33,075 on recruitment compared to £31,400 on L&D, while the retail and ecommerce sector will spend an average of £29,275 on recruitment versus £28,801 on L&D.
The biggest barrier to upskilling current employees for more than two fifths (21%) of organisations is insufficient resources, followed by a lack of internal personnel (19%) and a lack of internal buy-in (17%). In the tech sector specifically, 21% of organisations say lack of leadership support is a key barrier to upskilling current employees. However, across all industries combined, 58% of HR decision makers feel ‘significantly’ supported by leadership when it comes to investment in tech-related L&D.
“It’s encouraging that 80% of companies within the UK’s tech, finance and retail sectors have increased investment for tech-related learning and development over the past three years. However, our data suggests that further investment is needed to recession-proof the UK’s vertical industries,” said Alexia Pedersen, VP of EMEA at O’Reilly.
“With the pound currently at a 37-year low against the dollar, now is the time for companies to deploy upskilling programmes alongside ongoing recruitment efforts. Likewise, employees should prioritise L&D to safeguard their role and make themselves an invaluable asset to their organisation. This will be key to creating a highly skilled workforce that keeps British businesses at theforefront of their industries globally.”
CRM specialist Armadillo CFO, Andy Brown, and chairman, Chris Thurling, have both qualified with the Institute of Directors as Chartered Directors. With fewer than 2,000 Chartered Directors worldwide, the qualification demonstrates the business’s commitment to investing in employee development at every level, as well as the business’s dedication to corporate and social governance.
The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK’s longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1906.
The Chartered Director qualification process involves the study of four modules: governance, strategy, leadership and finance, followed by an exam for each module and then a further three-hour written exam and an interview with a current chartered director.
Chris Thurling comments: “We understand that strengthening our skills as chartered directors should mean we are able to better serve Armadillo, supporting sustainable, long-term growth. A company director is a profession (as much as an accountant for example) therefore why shouldn’t we be qualified for the role?”
Andy Brown adds: “I’m really pleased that Chris and I have been able to complete this training and qualification together. As well as learning more about strong leadership, governance and strategy, we’ve had the advantage of the shared experience of completing this together and bringing ideas back to enhance Armadillo’s Board effectiveness.”
Chris and Andy will also be joining the South West chartered directors network. With members representing agriculture, aerospace, tourism and manufacturing, IoD South West reflects the vibrant and innovative sectors in the region.
Offering aims to help companies engage learners throughout the year with the cadence and content to build workplace cultures of respect and belonging
LRN Corporation, the pioneer in ethics and compliance e-learning solutions and advisory services, is launching a DEI learning program that will help organisations advance diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond just training courses.
LRN’s new DEI Program provides companies with a multi-faceted training solution: a ready-to-deploy learning campaign with curriculums, asset packs, and customisable courses, plus the option to add bespoke content, learner experiences, and communications campaigns developed in association with LRN’s E&C experts.
This offering is timely given shareholders’ increased attention to ESG (environment, social, and governance) issues, and the demand by stakeholders for workplace cultures of sustainability, dignity, and respect.
Further, there is proof that ethical business cultures fuel success: LRN’s landmark report, the Benchmark of Ethical Culture, which surveyed more than 8,000 employees of companies with 1,000 or more employees in 17 countries, confirms the most ethical companies outperform their peers in key business metrics by up to 40%—including employee loyalty, customer satisfaction, innovation, and growth.
LRN’s 2022 E&C Program Effectiveness Report indicates that DEI is a priority for 76 percent of companies with high-impact E&C programs. The right resources and frameworks for team learning have become top of mind for executives, boards, and organizations looking to establish and refine an organisational stance on DEI, demonstrate commitment to BIPOC populations, create a culture of acceptance, and protect their organization from liability and risk.
“Organisations actively working towards more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces need a DEI curriculum that goes beyond the basics,” said Matt Plass, LRN’s Global Head of Markets. “Organisations and employees alike are craving sustained conversations to support a shift in ethical culture, not the typical one-and-done approach to training.”
LRN’s DEI program provides continual learning—courses, conversation guides, and templates for employee communications—that are interactive, empowering, and grounded in deepening employees’ understanding of these issues, so organizations can create workplaces that are more inclusive and equitable. The learning campaigns are ready to deploy, but organisations can also partner with LRN’s expert Advisory team to build a bespoke program specific to their unique needs.
LRN’s DEI Program includes proprietary instructional design methodology and materials on:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Confronting Racism
Gender Equality
Microaggressions
LGBTQ+ Allyship
For each topic, LRN provides pre-formatted DEI learning campaign assets, including employee email templates, team huddle guides, and individual learner action plans. This combination of assets empowers company managers to create dynamic, multistep learning experiences that can inspire ethical behavior. LRN courses are available for delivery to employees using either LRN’s Catalyst LMS or a supported platform of the company’s choice.
Organisations with specific DEI needs can choose to partner with LRN’s E&C Advisory experts to craft a completely custom, multimodal curriculum and communication plan with courses, videos, and employee experiences tailored to the needs of their workforce.
For companies struggling to fill roles during the Great Resignation, a focus on culture to retain existing talent becomes paramount. LRN’s data shows that an employee’s desire to stay with their company is predicted by the organization having a culture of trust and a sense of belonging and inclusion—83 percent of those surveyed cited DEI as a reason to stay at their company.
LRN’s mission and purpose is to inspire principled performance and help people around the world do the right thing. Since 1994, LRN has worked to propel organizations forward with the partnership, knowledge, and tools to build ethical culture. More than 1,000 companies and 30 million learners worldwide utilize LRN services and take LRN courses to help navigate complex regulatory environments and foster ethical, responsible, and inclusive cultures. In partnership with LRN, companies translate their values into concrete corporate practices and leadership behaviors that create sustainable competitive advantage. By acting upon shared values, companies and their people find the means to out behave and outperform. Learn more at https://lrn.com
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