Training During COVID: 3 Things That Are Here to Stay in L&D The COVID-19 pandemic has changed corporate training. What new norms and technologies are here to stay? Find out in this article! Published on 15 January, 2021 | Last modified on 1 November, 2022 A version of this article was first published on Feb. 19th, 2021 Here we are again. Rolling into the second year of living and working with the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to its new surges and variations, and the social and economic impacts it has inflicted on the world. Like many others, the corporate world has learned to adapt and correct course. With changes in the labor market, including the phenomena now dubbed the Great Resignation, more corporations are looking into hiring new skilled talent. With new skilled talent, comes the need for revised and enhanced corporate training, one that is easily adaptable and can be distributed vastly and fast. Looking at our Learning & Development (L&D) customers, there are three core corporate training tools that no hiring manager or training officer can dismiss. What are the implications and powers of these tools? How can they help you in your own business’ training? 1. Blended Training Model To preserve social distancing measures and to reduce the development of new COVID variants, many corporations have moved to a full work from home model or the hybrid model, forcing many to revise the way the train new and existing talent. According to the Ken Blanchard 2021 L&D Trends Report, 57% of trainers expect face-to-face training to only return within the context of blended training. Here is what the blended training model might look like: to kickoff leadership training, you might bring all the company executives to one place for a day of in-person sessions. Then, instead of keeping them there for three days or making them come back every month, you use virtual meetings, pulse software, and digital training materials to carry through the course. Even when the world recovers fully from COVID and its variations, we predict hybrid training to be the new standard. Why do we predict this model to be the new standard? Budget and learners’ expectations. A quality digital course is resource-intensive, and it can be used over and over again with minor tweaks, making it far more cost effective than regular in-person training. Plus, as corporate learners grow more accustomed to working remotely and signing in for virtual meetings, their appetite for blended training that works on their schedule grows. 2. Virtual Meeting Software Since live, virtual training isn’t going anywhere, that means virtual meeting software is staying put, too. In fact, the market is only growing and projected to hit $41.58 billion in 2027. That means you need to build your virtual meeting skills (and stay nimble, in case your company changes providers or in case you change companies). Trainers tend to prefer web conferencing solutions that prioritize learner engagement, such as live chat, polling, drawing on the screen, and breakout rooms. If you’re looking to learn new software, check out Endurance Learning’s trainer’s guides to the major meeting softwares. And if you are a small training business looking for an easy solution, check out our partnership with Highfive. 3. Printed Training Materials Here is a surprise. Despite moving to the digital sphere, printed material is still extremely useful for training purposes. In fact, our facilities have upped their production and shipment of training materials every day since the hybrid training model has become the new norm. The Ken Blanchard 2021 Trends Report discusses this specific need to printed material. Trainers report learner engagement as a top pain point during virtual training, and a fair number are also concerned with how well their population understands technology. Providing printed training materials as a supplement to the virtual experience helps bridge this gap. Most of our customers use print to engage learners beyond their screen. For example, instead of forcing the learner to switch between a Zoom window and a digital worksheet, the trainer refers learners to the physical workbook that was delivered directly to their homes. The print option is most realistic if you have a reliable vendor, rather than printing and shipping from your home office. The corporate L&D world has gone through a lot of changes in the past two years as it bore the brunt of swiftly changing organizations. While some developments – like social distancing – will hopefully fade into memory as health concerns disappear, others have proven they are here to stay. Click here to learn how Mimeo helps trainers expand capacity with print, digital, and web conferencing solutions. twitter Tweet facebook Share pinterest Pin Next Post Previous Post Mimeo Marketing Team Mimeo is a global online print provider with a mission to give customers back their time. By combining front and back-end technology with a lean production model, Mimeo is the only company in the industry to guarantee your late-night print order will be produced, shipped, and delivered by 8 am the next morning. For more information, visit mimeo.com and see how Mimeo’s solutions can help you save time today. Schedule a Print Consultation Today! A representative will be in touch with you in the next 24 hours. See how much you can save. 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