Talent leaders are bracing themselves for a new generation of careers coined the “jobs of the future”, and with them, an urgent new call to action for organizations to modernize training and employee development programs. Is your organization prepared to upskill and reskill for the new wave of IT skills? Check out our newest blog to learn how to modernize training and employee development programs.
It’s a tough truth to swallow, but over the next 10 years, many jobs are projected to go the way of the Dodo. Assembly line workers are being replaced by robotics. Retail cashiers are being replaced by contactless payment platforms. Even sports referees are getting benched by advanced Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Systems. However, disappearing roles do not mean disappearing jobs.
Rest assured, the age of technological unemployment is as far-fetched as humanity finding itself trapped in a simulated reality created by AI humanoids. That said, talent leaders are bracing themselves for a new generation of careers coined the “jobs of the future”, and with them, an urgent new call to action for organizations to modernize training and employee development programs.
Why IT Training & Employee Development Needs to Evolve
Uniquely human skills are what give innovative technology power and purpose. While assembly line workers might be replaced by smart machines, skilled technicians will still be needed to configure, monitor, and maintain them. In other words, the greatest challenge organizations will face over the next decade isn’t job creation; it’s talent creation.
From Technology designers and programers to data scientists and computer system analysts, the jobs of the future require advanced IT skills, which brings us to the abominable talent shortage. If talent leaders are waiting for higher education to save the day — don’t.
The biggest problem with IT training today is the lack of agility. Curricula cannot keep up with rapid changes in technology. By the time graduates enter the workforce, new IT skill demands have already emerged, reducing the value of the coveted college degree. Until universities find a way to adapt courses more quickly and restore the value of higher education, it’s up to employers to shoulder the responsibility of creating the next generation of skilled talent through corporate training and employee development.
What Does “Modern” IT Skills Training Look Like?
Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to deploy your own corporate training programs for IT upskilling or reskilling. The key is finding a progressive educational partner that solves the shortcomings of higher education. More specifically, the three A’s:
- Adaptability
- Affordability
- Accessibility
When vetting your options, use the following qualifiers to narrow your search:
1. Personalized Curriculum Development
“Off-the-shelf” educational solutions cannot deliver the same learning outcomes as a curriculum that is customized to meet the exact specifications of your technical environment and current employee skill sets.
2. Flexible Ownership
Affordability should not require that organizations lower their standards. A world-class IT training partner builds value into their service delivery model, including options to license, own, or lease-to-own for cost-control balance.
3. Instructor Onboarding & Mentorship
As curriculum development becomes more adaptive, education systems will need to rethink how instructors are supported and assessed. Look for a partner with performance management services and on-staff subject matter experts that can train and support instructors.
4. Speed & Adaptability
The biggest difference between traditional and modern IT training programs is content construction. The most advanced instructional design teams build programs using a dynamic framework that facilitates rapid updates, pilots, and deployments.
5. Single-Source, Full-Scale Support
Managing a myriad of outsourced educational service providers increases risk and results in slow, clunky, development processes that can make programs less agile. Single-source providers will have all the resources needed to execute a world-class learning experience, including:
- Subject matter experts
- Experienced educators
- Instructional designers
- Program administrators
- Technical writers
- Professional editors
- Video producers
- Graphic designers
- Full-scale support team
Most importantly, make sure that the training and employee development program your organization puts into place aligns with and supports the construct of strategic career pathways that will take your business and your employees to the proverbial “next level”.
Find out how our proven process for curriculum development balances cost, control, and agility to reduce cost per student by 45% and time-to-market by 50%.