But with the transforming tides of today's IT world, the ways in which companies approach training are rapidly changing too. For organizations that want to remain flexible, responsive and competitive in today's continuously fluctuating marketplace, knowledge is not only power. It's a priority.

Here are four training trends we see emerging:

1. Investing in "People" Development

Savvy companies are strategically investing in "people development" as a core business strategy. The payoff? More profits, and smarter, more valuable employees.

Investing in people makes sense because it’s a competitive and profitable business strategy. Instead of a one-off investment in a specific training, organizations see the value of enriching their company culture through an individual employee's ongoing professional development. "People development" is more profitable because it provides leaders with better talent resources to manage.[1] In turn, it helps companies achieve the results they desire. 

2. A Commitment to Continuous Learning

In today's climate, it's crucial to nurture professional development as a constant, evolving process. A changing world means a changing marketplace, and the rate of that change keeps increasing. To avoid being wiped out by the relentless waves of transformation, organizations must commit to seeding a culture of continuous learning.  The business mindset is shifting to one where expertise is never fully achieved or accomplished. This new mindset means that companies must continually "refresh" and refortify their established experts and nurture the growth of new ones. Forward-thinking companies do this by committing to ongoing training programs. These cutting-edge companies are the ones that ensure employees keep gaining new skills and knowledge, for both practical reasons and the sole sake of learning.

3. More Customized Training and Adaptive Learning

Businesses need to personalize products and services to meet the demands of today's rapidly shifting, global market. Competitive companies do this by creating teams of internal specialists across every function. Each team member must be trained specifically in the culture, values, quality standards and way of working in the business they represent. It's no longer good enough for organizations to trawl out off-the-shelf training to maximize performance. That's why we see a growing trend and high demand for customized training and adaptive learning.[2] Adaptive learning uses technology to modify materials according to the unique needs of each learner. Customized training includes in-company programs based on the organization’s culture and needs. Both are critical for companies to stay one step ahead of their competitors today, and tomorrow.

4. A Resurgence in Live Knowledge Exchange

While there is a notable trend towards bite-size and remote learning, we see a resurgence in live, on-site knowledge exchange. Live, instructor-led training promotes more human interaction, and in-depth discussions, something learners crave more and more of in an increasingly digital, work day.  People also tend to learn better in in-person environments, especially when a facilitator supports personal interactions.[3]  Responses, connections, and reactions feed learning, and the insatiable appetite for knowledge keeps growing.

By learning with each other, employees improve their ways of working together while companies enhance their products, culture and increase their bottom line. Ultimately, the overall trend we see across all industries is that when organizations embrace and nurture a company-wide love of learning, everybody profits.

Sources

Source 1: 8 Keys to Managing Training & Development
Source 2: Training trends for 2017
Source 3: 7 Rising Trends in Employee Training and Development in 2016