Learning and Development Predictions for 2023-2024

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With the world constantly evolving and changing, it’s hard to keep up with the latest trends in the workplace. With new technology seeming to come into play every month and the needs of employees frequently altering, keeping up with trends is crucial if you want to have a successful learning and development programme within your organisation.

Helping employees learn and develop comes with several benefits such as:

• Skill development
• Career Advancement
• Enhanced motivation
• Improved job performances
• Personal growth and fulfilment

These are just some of the benefits that come with fulfilling the learning needs of employees. In this article, we will be sharing 7 learning and development (L&D) trends we expect to see in 2023 and 2024 to keep employees engaged with their learning experience.

7 Learning and Development Trends

Listed below are 7 learning and development trend predictions your organisation needs to watch out for in 2023 and 2024.

1. AI Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being mentioned everywhere at the moment, from when you log onto social media to when you turn the news on. AI is a hot topic that will continue to grow in popularity over the next few years, especially for learning and development teams. From personalised learning experiences to content creation, AI is going to make a massive impact on how employees learn. Whilst we’re all still coming to terms with what AI is and how it can be used, organisations are now finding innovative ways to incorporate it into their strategy. Whilst AI will become a huge part of the process, it’s important to remember that learning requires human involvement and guidance to be successful. The combination of AI and the expertise of learning and development professionals will result in effective learning experiences for employees.

2. Virtual Learning

With more employers than ever working virtual or hybrid roles, learning and development teams need to make sure that this also transfers to workplace learning. Over the last 4 years, we’ve seen a complete shift in the way people work and what they engage with. Whilst virtual or hybrid work isn’t for everyone, there are numerous benefits for those who enjoy it. This isn’t a trend we expect to see grow in popularity just this year but over the next few years due to the engagement and productivity that comes with allowing virtual learning situations for employees. We expect to see more organisations invest in virtual training platforms and tools, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to help keep their employees engaged during the learning sessions. With new technology meaning that training can be done from anywhere in the world, many employees prefer to learn in a virtual setting.

3. Mentoring Programmes

Mentoring programmes for organisations are something that each year we see growing in popularity for organisations across the world. Employees are still looking for support and guidance in their careers, and that’s something that will never change. But with new generations entering the workforce who want to learn and develop in their career and see it as vital for success, we believe that in the future organisations will be unable to ignore the impressive benefits that come with mentoring. With more and more employees looking to progress in their careers and learn new skills, mentoring is going to become a staple in the learning and development strategies of organisations. To learn more about how mentoring can benefit your organisation, book a free demonstration with a member of our team today.

4. Personalised Learning

We have noticed that personalised learning experiences are growing in traction among learning and development professionals, with organisations now recognising the need to cater learning experiences to individual needs, preferences and careers. More organisations recognise that their employees all learn in different ways, whether that's visual or audio, personalising the learning experience for individuals allows for more effective learning across employees. With new technological solutions, personalised learning experiences have become easier than ever and much more engaging for learners.

5. Focus On Soft Skills and Leadership Development

As skills required to enter the workforce continue to develop and transform over time, we will start to see more organisations focus on building soft and leadership skills as they never go out of demand. It has become increasingly important for employers to equip their employees with the essential skills they need, to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to any changes in the environment. Things such as emotional intelligence, communication and critical thinking will grow in importance for learning and development teams. With the constant innovation that happens around us in our technologically-driven world, organisations are going to need strong leaders who can help their teams adapt to these differences.

6. Creating a Learning Culture

Employees want continuous learning opportunities, not only does it make them feel valued but it also shows that as an organisation you respect their desires and their career aspirations. With new skills constantly being needed, employees are now looking to acquire new skills, develop their old ones and stay relevant in their industry. As the years go on, we are going to see more organisations than ever prioritise continuous learning and incorporating it into everyday work experiences. If employers want to keep up with the constantly changing demands and changes, then they need to be training their employees successfully. A strong learning culture is about providing resources, promoting self-directed learning and focusing on knowledge sharing within an organisation.

7. Bite-Sized Content

We’re now at a stage in time, where if people want to learn something, they want to learn it quickly. Whether it’s down to apps like TikTok and YouTube giving us bite-sized learning content or due to the use of smartphones, there has been a huge shift in demand in the way we want to learn. The future of learning and development is one where bite-sized content will need to be used if organisations want to keep their learners engaged. Whether it’s teaching employees how to use the latest software or how to effectively network with others, learning will be turned into short tutorials for employees to indulge in. Employees will be looking for short modules that don’t take 40 minutes to complete but can be easily integrated into their day. We suspect that learning and development teams will be breaking down topics into smaller modules that can be completed in minutes and are better suited to the needs and wants of employees globally.

Final Thoughts

Over the last few years, learning and development professionals have seen the emergence of new trends. But, if these teams want to keep their employees satisfied they need to keep up with the latest trends and technology. Learning and development opportunities allow employees to reach their full potential, enabling them to achieve personal and professional growth. With many organisations now recognising the true importance of learning and development and investing more resources into learning programmes, we’re going to see a massive shift in the way organisations get their employees engaged with learning in the future. If learning and development teams want to drive success for their organisations and learners, they need to stay innovative and adaptable. We hope these 7 predictions can prepare you for the trends that will help your teams evolve and grow.