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      How to use online learning to close skills gaps

      by Kate Donnan

      Talent management , Learning and development strategies , Instructional Design

       

      How do you measure the success of your training programmes? Is it by the pages a person has read, the pass mark on their assessments, or an observation of the things they do directly after taking a course?

      Assessing skills gaps


      The results of the 3rd annual LinkedIn survey are out and the answer to this question, reported by over 1,200 learning professionals, might surprise you. 

       

      While positive learner feedback has previously been the favourite metric for demonstrating learner success, identifying and assessing skills gaps has come in this year as the top method for talent developers to measure achievements.

       

      As digital transformation marches ever-onward it leaves some big foot prints. These footprints are the new requirements we need to be able to fill – technology skills, soft skills and adaptivity. Our workplaces are certainly changing and no organisation can afford to ignore these various needs indefinitely, and upskilling employees in the areas they need know in order to keep up is becoming more and more of a priority.

       

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      To meet this challenge the first step for learning and development professionals is to get to know what their workforce doesn’t know. They need to identify the skills gaps.

       

       

      knowledge gaps and liftsSource: Verify by Logicearth

       

      The benefits of identifying these areas are huge and can affect every decision that is made. This information can help pinpoint when a training course needs to be delivered and in what area – even to which particular learners. Having this knowledge maximises the effect of every effort and resource that is put into training development, as it is laser-targeted at the outcomes it needs to achieve. It is no wonder this focus area has become so crucial to the majority of talent development professionals. So, how do they go about this?

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      Depending on which department head in an organisation you spoke to, you could hear a collection of reasonings on why one particular course is the training that an organisation needs right now - all of which could be perfectly valid. But, like Engineer, Statistician and lecturer Edward Deming said…

      “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”


      Any conscientious worker will have the true and honest belief that their department has a great need for investment and resources. But when feedback is subject to opinion, dispassionate data is needed to direct efforts accordingly.

       

      Online learning tools are perfectly placed to identify and hone in on skills gaps. Rather than ask who is struggling the most and with what subjects, they provide the ability to ask learners directly, en masse, to demonstrate what they do and do not know. If a large group can’t demonstrate something – then that’s where the resources need to go.

       

      Verify from Logicearth is a fully-managed agile microlearning service which can rapidly scan all employees knowledge to identify skills gaps. It also utilises spaced learning principles to conduct data-driven, effective, skills based training programs that transform learning expectations and guide strategic decisions within your organisation. Here are some results from a recent RapidScan:

       

       

      Also of note in the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report on the focus areas was the close tie for the #1 spot. There was a range of just 12% between the top 7. With the obvious need to juggle priorities like these, it is no wonder identifying skills gaps has come out on top. It really is time to maximise the results of L&D resources, and not only mind the skills-gap – but get it under the microscope!

       

      Closing skills gaps


      Of course once skills gaps are identified they need to be closed, and this is where digital learning can step in. A Learning Experience Platform (LXP) like Percipio can provide instant access to relevant and engaging content in the flow of work. Percipio has over 500 pre-curated channels mapped to the competencies that matter most to leading global companies.

      You can assign learning paths to specific audiences to close skill gaps quickly and easily. Percipio has also recently introduced the Aspire Digital Learning Journeys in order to prepare tech talent for the digital roles of the future.

      Get a 14-day free trial of Percipio now.

       

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      You can download the Linkedin Learning Report and keep up with the latest research in learning and development strategies over on our Industry Research page. We do the hard work for you by bringing together high-profile research from organisations including Fosway, Brandon Hall and Towards Maturity.

      Get in touch with Logicearth for an informal chat about your learning needs here:

       

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