As we enter the final weeks of the year, many learning and development (L&D) leaders continue to ask: What will workplace learning look like in 2021? To shed light on this question, this study surveyed over 500 global experts to understand what L&D professionals can expect in the new year and how they can best prepare. It offers six trends including 1) Amidst uncertainty, self-mastery is a valued skill, 2) Remote work makes collaboration a priority, 3) Data literacy is the new computer literacy, 4) Automation skills let data scientists focus on strategy, 5) Farewell silos, hello hybrid tech roles, 6) Cybersecurity training takes on a new urgency. Regarding trend #1– self-mastery being a valued skill–the report indicates how this trend reflects employees’ desire to master their minds and take control of their time–especially in this uncertain and stressful environment. Therefore, organizations are likely to devote more development resources to enabling employee wellbeing. As noted in the report, “this mindset is a fundamental shift to focusing on the whole employee, rather than simply the technical skills related to their outputs or deliverables.” Additional L&D resources that can help with 2021 planning include:
- A Transformation of the Learning Function by McKinsey
- 3 Steps to Turn Your Company Into a Learning Powerhouse | BCG Henderson Institute
- Linked In 2020 Workplace Learning Report | Linked In Learning
