It’s not easy to find a learning and development partner who fits your business needs, and the needs of your employees. There are many factors to consider, from the quality of the training on offer to the convenience for your learners. However, setting out the right L&D programme is worth the effort – 42% of organisations have experienced an increase in income after introducing eLearning to their workplace. The benefits are not only financial, but can also help you build a resilient and confident workforce, address the skills gap crisis, and maximise employee retention – so it’s a win-win.
In the post-pandemic landscape, many businesses have transitioned to remote and hybrid working for good, so digital learning is a convenient and engaging option for your employees. To help you navigate this space and feel confident that you’re implementing the best online L&D programmes for your business, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about digital learning.
Why digital learning is important for your business
More than 40% of businesses expect to see fewer skilled workers available . So, it’s clear the challenge of hiring and retaining qualified staff is expected to continue. L&D programmes are a great way to tackle employee retention, workplace productivity and job satisfaction, but why choose digital over face-to-face lessons? Well firstly, your training provider needs to keep up with our digital-first world. The work-from-home boom opened employees’ and business’ eyes to the ease of online communications, meaning that your modern workforce is unlikely to feel motivated about the prospect of travelling to their lessons. Digital learning takes 40% to 60% less employee time compared to traditional face-to-face learning, so it can fit around their individual lifestyle and enable them to learn at their own pace.
But what is most important is the level of convenience and flexibility. Your employees likely have busy lives, which is why 24/7 access to digital learning is a great way to keep them engaged, by letting them learn at times that suit them. So much so that online learning increases retention rates by up to 60% compared to a 10% retention rate for traditional classroom-based learning. It really is that important.
Can digital learning help address the skills gap crisis?
Overall skills shortages cost businesses £6.6 billion per year in the UK . The UK government has goals to achieve a high wage, high productivity economy, but this means that 30% of all UK workers may need to up their skill levels by 2030 in order to be prepared for the changing nature of jobs.
To avoid facing long-term skills shortages, your business needs to harness an L&D programme that is applicable to real-world jobs and moves forward with the changing nature of our technology-driven workplaces. After all, it’s not only job-specific skill gaps that need to be closed, but digital skill gaps too. With digital natives functioning almost entirely on some form of technology, it’s only right that your L&D does too. Digital learning gives your employees the opportunity to advance their digital skills and competencies, whilst taking control of their own learning in their own time.
More than 94% of online learners see career benefits after taking more time to learn. So not only does digital learning upskill your employees, but it also encourages them to take a forward-thinking, long-term approach to their careers.
Degree level apprenticeships: beneficial for you?
Degree level apprenticeships give your employees the opportunity to further excel in their careers and achieve higher performance in their roles. The challenge comes when your employees are already in busy roles, leaving them with little to no time to undertake classes alongside working and busy social lives. At Arden University, we have developed our innovative digital-first degree level apprenticeships to give your employees a convenient experience that is flexible around their working commitments.
With a multitude of digital learning courses available for all your employees, from junior to senior level, it’s understandable if you need a little more guidance to navigate them. That’s why Arden University is your trusted partner in digital learning. We advise you on how best to maximise opportunities to implement degree-level apprenticeship schemes into your business, and benefit from increased engagement, upskilling and better employee retention.
We provide degree-level apprentices with 24/7 access to our virtual classroom, iLearn – plus a host of other resources, including video lectures, library resources and interactive content. Easy access isn’t just for your employees – we’ll also give you as the employer access to reports so you can easily track their progression and performance.
To find out more about our degree-level apprenticeships and how you can harness the power of upskilling, visit our content hub for more insights
