There is a light at the end of the Pandemic Tunnel. At least, that’s the perception at the moment.

The COVID-19 vaccine is increasingly more available to people around the world. Yes. There has been some issues with getting shots into arms and issues with certain vaccines. Despite some of those challenges, however, we are still moving forward.

That means more and more people are going back to work in the physical sense. Some companies are allowing employees to work in buildings, but with restrictions on mask use and the number of people allowed. Some are taking a hybrid approach in that certain people work “on property” certain days while others work from home; Then the two groups flip-flop locations.

And some organizations simply aren’t moving back into corporate spaces choosing to remain a remote, digital company. For some, it’s about safety; For others, it’s about saving money. In reality, it’s a little bit of both… with a few other calculations thrown in for good measure.

Regardless, organizations have to figure out what learning looks like in the current environment and what it looks like in the future.

Future of Work Learning

The Current Environment

So, what does the current environment look like in reality? Honestly, you’d be in a better position to answer that question than me. Please share your comments in the comments section below. That said, let’s give it a good, old-fashion try.

First, some pre-pandemic stats for context. Statistics from the Statista Research Department painted the following global picture:

• The learning and development market is estimated to be at $366.2 billion.
• In the North American market alone, some $161.1 billion has been spent since 2017.
• Money has been spent on different learning methods, with in-person training being preferred.

As I eluded to a few paragraphs back, the pandemic has altered learning and will continue to do so for some time.

According to author Baidhurya Mani, “the global eLearning market is expected to double in size from around $250 billion in 2020 to $499.1 billion in 2027.” That translates to a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 10.3 percent. The main driver of this is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the local level, there is little to no in-person group learning happening right now. If there is, the restrictions are pretty staunch in that protecting workers from getting sick is of utmost importance. Mani says, “Due to the pandemic, 98% of institutions moved the majority of in-person classes online and 43% have invested in creating new online learning resources.”

He points out Udemy, a leading online learning marketplace, saw a “425 percent increase in student enrollments in late March 2020 compared to the previous month.” Thinkific, an online course platform, saw similar growth. In the last two weeks of that same month, the company reported a 368% growth in new course creation.

That means employees are accessing content via a web portal of some sort. Video conferencing “surreal-estate” has been converted into digital classrooms. And information is being shared through a “screen share” function rather than a projector or marker board. In April 2020, Zoom reported usage of their application for remote teaching “increased to 90,000+ schools in 20 countries.”

The Reality of Work Learning

At least for the time being, most corporate learning is going to happen in the digital space. That’s just reality and one we have to accept moving forward.

Will there be a full return to in-person learning post-pandemic? The simple answer is no. The research I’ve read and the conversations I’ve had with senior learning leaders across the globe points to a continued hybrid approach with most strategies using some form of digital tool.

Udemy’s Workplace Learning Trends Report states the main goal of learning and development programs will focus on closing the skills gap; some 62 percent. 46 percent will focus efforts on driving organizational growth, while 44 percent will focus on improving employee engagement. 34 percent want to use learning to increase job satisfaction.

Stats Learning Leaders Should Know

Before looking at the future of work learning, there are a handful of statistics of which I firmly believe learning leaders should be aware. These data points illustrate the challenges you will face and how some, not everyone, will deal with those in the years ahead.

1. Most employees like eLearning because it allows them to learn at their own pace.
2. eLearning can increase knowledge retention up to 60 percent according to the Research Institute of America.
3. 40 percent to 60 percent less employee time is wasted with online learning as compared to traditional classroom training according to a Brandon Hall study.
4. Nearly 42 percent of all Fortune 500 companies are using eLearning in employee training.
5. $30 in productivity can be expected for every $1 invested in online learning.
6. eLearning led to significant revenue increases in 42 percent of companies.
7. According to Deloitte, 2,500 companies with “comprehensive training programs” have 218 percent higher revenue per employee and 24 percent higher profit margins.
8. Companies could save between 50 percent and 70 percent in training costs by switching to online learning.
9. Per IBM – employees learned nearly five times more material in the same amount of time with digital training resources.
10. More than half of companies use eLearning courses because they believe it improves employee morale.

Predicting the Future of Work Learning

One task I love to ask learning leaders to do is to pull out an imaginary crystal ball and tell me what their predictions are as it relates to learning in the corporate setting. To be honest, I know it’s an unfair question. No one can predict the future.

I have, however, made a decision about that particular question:  I’m going to retire it for the time being. Here’s why.

You, and your leaders, must decide the future of your learning teams and programs on your own terms. Honestly, that’s always the case. Every company judges its learning programs by its own set of criteria. What’s important to one organization may not be important to another. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

What should be the same, however, is the desire to develop your employees in the best way possible. That’s one sure way to point your organizational ship toward success and to ensure survival for the coming months and years… pandemic or no.