New Delhi, Nov 28: As organisations carefully prepare to bring back some of their workforce to offices, companies are mapping skill requirements required to adapt to a new normal and a hybrid future, where a combination of remote working and office goers will change the workplace, according to Skillsoft India.
The Learning & Development function of companies played a critical role during the pandemic, as it ensured business continuity and there was a significant rise in the L&D budget of companies, which is likely to increase in the near future.
“The main focus of L&D leaders over the next 12 to 18 months will be to build the skills and capabilities of their workforce required for the future,” Kamal Dutta, ?Managing Director, Skillsoft India.
Dutta further said that “a number of companies are already charting the path towards the future by focusing heavily on reorganizing organizational priorities, workforce strategies. By mapping skill requirements required to adapt to a new normal and a hybrid future.”
As per the ‘Learning & Development in the New Normal’ report by Skillsoft, 2020 has seen reasonable increase (40 per cent of surveyed) in the L&D budget which is likely to increase in the near future (69 per cent).
As per the ‘Learning Trends India 2020’ report by Skillsoft, for the L&D department, 82 per cent of respondents felt that building future skills and capabilities was amongst the five key priorities for the organisation.
With the ongoing scenario, the focus on upskilling and reskilling is bound to grow further in 2022.
Successful organizations will be upskilling and reskilling their workforce and more strategically managing both long-term career development and the day-to-day experience of work while ensuring they align to business goals.
“Prior to the pandemic, remote working was merely a policy mentioned in the HR handbook. In 2020, the business ecosystem shifted gears and digital working became the norm,” Dutta said.
Now, with the ease in restrictions and continuing pandemic fear, the work model has shifted to Hybrid.
“Blended learning will be the key focus for L&D in the future. In-person classroom-like learning modules and virtual, interactive sessions will go hand in hand to ensure holistic upskilling and a future-ready workforce,” Dutta added.
The L&D function of an organisation needs to develop a clear connection between what employees are learning with their current/future job roles. “This will motivate them to dedicate time and attention to their development. Learning journeys, role-based curation and community sharing is key,” Dutta noted. (PTI)
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