automotive factory
L&D for the
automotive sector
Modern e-learning for global auto brands

Revolutionising automotive training with modern e-learning

The automotive industry is a rapidly evolving landscape. While new entrants to the market are relatively rare, fierce competition and rapid technological advancements create unique business and training challenges. Companies in this sector must ensure that their workforce is skilled and knowledgeable to stay ahead of the curve.

automotive factory designers

E-learning has emerged as the natural solution to help automotive companies streamline their training processes and gain competitive advantage. Having created automotive training solutions for several market-leading clients, we understand their environment. 

 

Here we explore the advantages that great e-learning can bring to the table.

Unique business and training challenges in the automotive sector

  1. Technological advancements: The automotive industry is witnessing a paradigm shift, with the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving systems, and connected cars. Global auto brands need to train their employees on new technologies and their applications.
  2. Regulatory compliance: Automotive companies must comply with strict safety and emissions regulations, which often vary across regions. Employees need to be aware of and adhere to these regulations.
  3. Skilled labour shortage: The automotive sector suffers from a skilled labour shortage, and auto companies are quickly upskilling their existing workforce to meet the demands of the market.
  4. High employee turnover: This industry often experiences high employee turnover rates, which means that companies must invest in consistent training for new hires and existing employees.

Why e-learning is the perfect solution for automotive companies

  1. Flexibility and scalability: E-learning platforms allow automotive companies to deliver training modules that learners can access anytime, anywhere. This flexibility ensures that employees can complete their training at their own pace, reducing the impact on their work schedule. Furthermore, L&D managers can easily scale e-learning to accommodate a growing workforce or the introduction of new technologies.
  2. Cost-effectiveness: Traditional training methods are expensive, with costs associated with travel, accommodations, and physical training materials. E-learning platforms significantly reduce these costs, making it a more affordable option for automotive companies.
  3. Personalisation: E-learning platforms can be customised to create personalised learning paths, catering to the individual needs of employees. This ensures that each employee receives training that is relevant to their job role and helps them fill their skill gaps.
  4. Consistency and compliance: E-learning platforms ensure that all employees receive the same training content, promoting consistency across the organisation. Moreover, administrators and training supervisors can quickly update courses to reflect changes in regulations. That way, they keep employees up to date with the latest compliance requirements.
  5. Analytics and performance tracking: The leading e-learning platforms, such as the imc Learning Suite, provide detailed analytics on employee performance. Automotive companies are able to track progress, identify areas that require improvement, and provide targeted support.
  6. Engaging and interactive content: E-learning platforms offer a variety of multimedia content, such as videos and quizzes, making the learning experience more engaging and enjoyable for employees. And easy-to-use e-learning authoring tools like imc Express empower your in-house subject matter experts to create engaging e-learning - without the need for design or technical experience

Automotive e-learning examples

How to get started

E-learning presents automotive companies with a powerful tool to address the unique business and training challenges they face. By leveraging the benefits of e-learning, automotive companies can stay ahead of the curve by continually upskilling their workforce, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a culture of continuous learning. 

 

Create an agile, knowledgeable workforce ready to tackle the challenges of the ever-evolving automotive industry.

 

 

Are you involved in L&D for an automotive company and want to learn more about how the best in modern e-learning can support your training? Get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!

government building
e-Learning for
the public sector
How modern L&D can help government agencies improve public services

Public sector training - e-learning for government agencies

Government agencies, entrusted with serving the public and maximising budgets, must continually adapt to new policies, regulations, and technologies. A well-trained workforce is crucial to ensure that these agencies operate efficiently and effectively. 

 

E-learning can be a powerful tool in helping government agencies overcome training challenges and deliver high-quality services to taxpayers. We've created innovative, impactful solutions for private and public sector training clients across the globe, so we understand the unique challenges faced by government bodies. 

 

Here we look at how great e-learning can help address these challenges.

Unique training challenges in government Agencies

  1. Large and diverse workforce: Government agencies typically employ a large workforce with diverse roles and responsibilities. Consequently, public sector L&D departments can find it a challenge to deliver consistent and relevant training to such a varied audience.
  2. Budgetary constraints: Government agencies often operate within strict budgetary limits, making it difficult for them to invest in comprehensive training programs.
  3. Rapid policy and regulation changes: Government employees need to stay abreast of evolving policies, regulations, and procedures that govern their work. This requires regular and up-to-date training.
  4. Geographical dispersion: Government employees often works across vast geographical areas. Training managers sometimes find it difficult to coordinate and deliver in-person training.
  5. Security and privacy concerns: Government agencies must ensure that their training programmes comply with stringent security and privacy requirements to protect sensitive information.
colleagues discussing LMS

Why e-learning is ideal for public sector training

  1. Cost-effectiveness: E-learning platforms can reduce the costs associated with traditional training methods, such as travel, accommodations, and printed materials. This allows government agencies to maximise their training budgets and reach a larger audience.
  2. Flexibility and scalability: E-learning provides government employees with the flexibility to access training materials anytime, anywhere. This enables employees to learn at their own pace and schedule, leading to higher engagement and completion rates. Additionally, e-learning platforms can be easily scaled to accommodate a growing workforce or the introduction of new policies and regulations.
  3. Personalisation: Customisable e-learning platforms let you deliver personalised learning paths tailored to the specific needs of each employee. This ensures that employees receive training relevant to their job roles and responsibilities, resulting in better performance and higher job satisfaction.
  4. Consistency and compliance: E-learning platforms ensure that all employees receive the same training content, fostering consistency across the organisation. Moreover, training managers can quickly update hem to reflect changes in policies and regulations, ensuring that employees stay current with the latest requirements.
  5. Analytics and performance tracking: The leading e-learning platforms, like our own imc Learning Suite, provide detailed analytics on employee performance, enabling government agencies to monitor progress, identify skill gaps, and provide targeted support.
  6. Enhanced security and privacy: E-learning platforms can be designed with robust security and privacy features to ensure compliance with government regulations and protect sensitive information.

Examples of successful public sector e-learning

How to get started

E-learning presents government agencies with an effective and efficient solution to address the unique training challenges they face. By embracing e-learning, government agencies can empower their workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality services. 

 

The result is a more agile, well-informed, and efficient public sector.

 

Are you involved in national or local government L&D and want to learn more about how the best in modern e-learning can support your training? Get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!

10 ways to keep corporate learning engaging
Fun & effective
corporate learning
Content and strategies to ditch 'dry' technical training

10 proven ways to keep corporate learning engaging

Rolling out certain types of learning content can sometimes cause L&D or IT managers to cringe. This is especially likely when technical content focuses on dry subject matter or tick-box compliance exercises that aren't always directly related to the learner's role.

it manager cringing

Top 10 tips for HR heads, IT security, and L&D professionals to foster active learning

Technical training topics, such as cybersecurity awareness training or learning a new software system, are often essential for employees to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to be productive or to comply with legal/regulatory requirements. However, these topics are often considered dry and boring due to complexity, specialised language, or seemingly distant relevance to everyday work life

The 10 ways to keep corporate learning engaging set out below make the learning process more enjoyable and effective.

1. Relate to real-life scenarios

Learners are more likely to engage with technical topics if they can see the direct relevance to their lives or careers. Present real-life scenarios, case studies, or anecdotes that demonstrate how the technical concepts are applied in practice. This will help learners understand the importance of mastering these topics and make the material more relatable.

2. Break down complex concepts

Technical topics can be intimidating due to their complexity. Break down the concepts into smaller, digestible parts, and provide clear explanations and examples for each. Use analogies, metaphors, or comparisons that learners can easily understand to explain difficult concepts. Additionally, create a logical progression of information, building on what learners have already grasped.

3. Use multimedia resources

Leverage various multimedia resources, such as videos, audio recordings, graphics, and animations, to illustrate technical concepts. These resources can help make the material more engaging and accessible, as well as cater to different learning styles. Additionally, incorporating multimedia resources can reinforce key concepts and provide alternative ways for learners to process information.

4. Encourage active learning

Active learning techniques, such as group discussions, problem-solving exercises, and hands-on activities, can make technical training more engaging. By actively participating in the learning process, learners can better internalise and retain the material. Encourage learners to ask questions, share their perspectives, and collaborate on projects to create a more interactive learning environment.

5. Gamify the learning experience

Gamification can make dry technical training topics more enjoyable and motivating. Introduce game elements, such as point systems, leaderboards, and badges, to create a competitive atmosphere and drive engagement. Additionally, design interactive quizzes, puzzles, or simulations that require learners to apply their knowledge in a fun and challenging way.  As an example, we turned one of the driest topics of all - cybersecurity training - into a fun, interactive game - Cyber Crime Time.

imc off the shelf content

In this gamified learning experience, you take the role of a devious hacker. By exploring IT security from the hacker's perspective, learners gain new levels of cybercrime awareness without the process feeling like 'training'. 

 

Try out the game for free to learn about this innovative approach to technical training.

6. Provide immediate feedback

Timely feedback is crucial for learners to understand their progress and identify areas for improvement. Provide immediate feedback during training sessions, either through automated systems or personal interaction. This will help learners adjust their learning strategies and stay motivated.

7. Foster a supportive learning environment

A supportive learning environment can help learners feel comfortable asking questions and discussing technical topics. Encourage open communication and create a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Instructors should be approachable, patient, and willing to provide assistance as needed.

8. Set clear goals and expectations

Learners are more likely to engage with technical training if they understand the goals and expectations. Clearly communicate the learning objectives, expectations, and assessment criteria at the beginning of the training. This will help learners focus on the most important aspects of the material and track their progress.

9. Offer flexibility and customisation

Allow learners to customise their learning experience based on their needs, interests, and learning styles. Offer flexible pacing, optional supplementary materials, and various learning pathways to accommodate individual preferences. This will help learners feel more in control of their learning experience and increase their motivation to engage with the material.

10. Incorporate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

While some technical training will often need to be formally structured to ensure precision or regulatory compliance, there is often space for informal, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. 

 

Does your new software system have a 'power user' in the company? Or does one of your team have a way of communicating and sharing knowledge that’s particularly funny or engaging. 

 

Some new e-learning authoring tools, like our own imc Express, are emerging that make it quick and easy to create and share multimedia learning nuggets in as little as 10 minutes. This can enable subject matter experts to become a useful addition to the L&D team - albeit unofficially. It also helps to avoid valuable knowledge and experience to be siloed within departments - or even worse, lost altogether if key personnel were to leave the company.

How to get started

Engaging learners with dry technical training topics may be challenging, but it is achievable if you implement some or all of the above 10 ways to keep corporate learning engaging. By relating the material to real-life scenarios, breaking down complex concepts, using multimedia resources, and fostering active learning, L&D or IT leaders can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for their learners. 

 

With the right approach, even the driest technical topics can become engaging - maybe even fun! 🙂

 

Want to learn more about tools and strategies to make technical training more engaging and effective? Get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!

woman working from home with cats on her desk
Training a hybrid
workforce
Essential strategies for global companies

Training diverse and disparate workforces

Here at imc Learning, we have decades of experience helping customers train hybrid workforces - diverse and disparate learners at global companies. In this post, we cover some of the essential tools and strategies for L&D leaders to consider when training a hybrid workforce. 

 

We also look at how the best e-learning solutions make creating, delivering and analysing your training easier than ever - wherever your employees are based, and whatever language they speak.

Hybrid corporate training

Look back a decade, and early proponents of remote work, such as Basecamp, were seen as unusual - even maverick. Today, post-Covid-19 pandemic, some level of remote or hybrid work is standard for large organisations. 

 

What can vary considerably between large organisations though is the quality of training to hybrid or remote workers and the level to which they are kept engaged and in the loop.

Checklist for training hybrid/remote workers

Many of the points here might seem obvious, but whether you are an experienced L&D leader or relatively new to training remote teams, it can be easy to see certain elements of employee engagement as a given and forget to carry them out. Unfortunately, out of sight can really be out of mind all too often, and this can lead to a feeling of isolation and disengagement among remote workers. 

 

Below is a checklist to help you ensure you don’t miss out any of the steps needed to create a comprehensive training programme for your hybrid workforce

Assess your training needs

Before you can create a training program, you need to understand your unique needs. Consider the following to train your hybrid workforce:

  1. Job roles: Identify the skills and knowledge required for each job role.
  2. Skill gaps: Determine the skills that need improvement or development.
  3. Technical requirements: Evaluate the tools and technology needed to support remote and onsite employees.

Set clear objectives and goals

Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives for your training program. These objectives should align with your company's overall goals and focus on addressing the skill gaps identified earlier.

Choose the right training formats

To accommodate both remote and onsite employees, consider using a mix of training formats, such as:

 

  1. E-learning: Offer self-paced online courses and tutorials.
  2. Webinars: Conduct live or pre-recorded sessions for real-time interaction.
  3. Instructor-led training: Provide in-person or virtual classes led by experienced trainers.
  4. Blended learning: Combine multiple training formats for a more comprehensive learning experience.

Develop engaging training content

Create high-quality, engaging training content that caters to different learning styles. Ensure your materials are up-to-date and relevant to your employees' roles. Consider incorporating interactive elements like quizzes and gamification to boost engagement.

Leverage e-learning technology

Use various technology tools to support your training program, such as:

 

  1. Learning management systems (LMS): Use an LMS to organise, distribute, and track training progress. The imc Learning Suite integrates with many other HR and business software applications, and offers powerful training delivery and learner analytics tools. 
  2. Video conferencing: Integrate video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams to facilitate virtual instructor-led training and webinars.
  3. Collaboration tools: Encourage teamwork and collaboration among remote and onsite employees through platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Implement a support system

Offer continuous support to your employees during and after the training. This may include:
  1. Mentorship programmes: Pair employees with experienced team members for guidance and support.
  2. Online forums: Create a space where employees can ask questions and share knowledge.
  3. Regular check-ins: Schedule periodic check-ins with employees to monitor progress and address any concerns.
  4. Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. imc Express is an e-learning authoring tool that makes it easy for your subject matter experts to create and share engaging learning modules in as little as 10 minutes, with no design or coding expertise needed. 
It now also incorporates ChatGPT technology from OpenAI, enabling content to be translated into any of 50+ languages at the click of a button.

Evaluate and recalibrate your training programme

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your training programme by gathering feedback from employees and analysing performance metrics. Use this information to make any necessary adjustments to your training content, format, or delivery methods. 

How to get started

Learning how to train a hybrid workforce requires a thoughtful and flexible approach. Often you will need to accommodate the needs of both remote and onsite employees. By following this checklist and leveraging the latest tech, you'll be able to create a comprehensive and effective training programme that supports the success of your entire workforce.

 

Would you like to discuss how our suite of e-learning solutions can support your hybrid workforce? Get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!

retail worker using digital tablet
Transformative
training for retail
Find out more about learning & development (L&D) challenges in the retail sector

Transforming retail training
with e-learning

The retail sector is a dynamic and rapidly changing environment. Advancing technologies, intense competition, and evolving consumer demands, all drive transformation. Training employees to stay ahead of these changes is critical to the success of any retailer.

 

For decades, we’ve helped some of the world’s biggest brands to maximise their retail training ROI. Here we look at the unique challenges faced by the retail sector and how great e-learning can help overcome these challenges. 

Unique training challenges in the retail sector

  1. High employee turnover: The retail sector is notorious for high employee turnover rates. The average retail employee turnover is 60.5% in the US and 57.3% in the UK. This makes it essential for retailers to invest in training for new hires, but also to engage and retain your best existing employees.

  2. Seasonal workforce: Retailers often employ a large number of temporary or seasonal workers, who require quick and efficient training to perform their roles effectively.

  3. Diverse workforce: Retail employees come from various backgrounds and possess varying levels of skills and experience, making it challenging to develop and deliver consistent training that feels relevant to your learners.

  4. Dispersed workforce: Retail companies often operate across multiple locations, making it difficult to coordinate and deliver in-person training.

  5. Rapid technological advancements: The integration of new technologies, such as e-commerce, mobile payments, and inventory management systems, requires retailers to continually upskill their workforce.
retail workers

Why e-learning is great for retailers

  1. Cost-Effectiveness: E-learning platforms can significantly reduce the costs associated with traditional training methods, such as travel, accommodation, and printed materials. This allows retailers to maximise their training budgets and allocate resources more effectively.
  2. Flexibility and Scalability: E-learning provides retail employees with the flexibility to access training materials anytime, anywhere. This enables employees to learn at their own pace and schedule, leading to higher engagement and completion rates. Furthermore, robust e-learning platforms can be easily scaled to accommodate a growing workforce or the introduction of new technologies.
  3. Personalisation: E-learning platforms can be customised to create personalised learning paths, catering to the individual needs of retail employees. This ensures that each employee receives training that is relevant to their job role and helps them fill their skill gaps. Such learning personalisation can help employees to feel valued and increase staff retention levels. 
  4. Consistency and Compliance: E-learning platforms ensure that all employees receive the same training content, promoting consistency across the organisation. Moreover, they can be updated quickly to reflect changes in regulations or company policies, keeping employees up-to-date with the latest requirements.
  5. Analytics and Performance Tracking: The best e-learning platforms, such as the imc Learning Suite, provide detailed analytics on employee performance, enabling retailers to track progress, identify areas that require improvement, and provide targeted support.
  6. Engaging and Interactive Content: E-learning platforms offer a variety of multimedia content, such as videos, quizzes, and simulations, making the learning experience more engaging and enjoyable for retail employees. Easy to use e-learning authoring tools like imc Express can allow your own subject matter experts to create engaging e-learning as and when needed to share with colleagues - without the need for design or technical experience.

Retail e-learning examples

How to get started

E-learning presents retailers with a powerful tool to address the unique training challenges they face, such as fast-changing product lines and high employee turnover. By leveraging the benefits of modern e-learning, retailers can continually upskill their workforce, ensure training consistency, and foster a culture of continuous learning. 

 

The result is an engaged, skilled, knowledgeable workforce that’s ready to tackle the challenges of a competitive retail landscape.

 

Are you involved in retail L&D and want to learn more about how the best in modern e-learning can support your training? Get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!

it infrastructure worker on laptop infront of server rack
The data behind
The Great Upskill
Why a lack of training is driving UK workers to leave their jobs
Industry survey:

92% of workers favour an employer with the best L&D

The Great Resignation caused a major shift in personal and professional priorities among employees. Our recent industry survey identifies a new growing trend, 'The Great Upskill'. It emerges as the natural evolution of the Great Resignation, as people seek greater fulfilment in their working lives.

 

Aside from a greater expectation of flexibility, employees now want to work for employers that help them to enrich their working experience through ‘upskilling’, training, personal and professional development. Employers are responding by creating engaging career paths for the short, medium and long term.  In return, a staggering 92% of workers favour an employer with the best L&D.

 

We wanted to find out more about this trend, and find out whether people are actually motivated to engage with training, and whether businesses are accommodating and using that motivator in an ever-changing workplace.

The absence of L&D drives employee disengagement

In response to The Great Upskill trend, we conducted research in partnership with independent survey company Research Without Barriers. Our aim was to investigate employee attitudes in relation to training. We selected our research demographic to obtain rounded insight from a cross-section of UK workers, primarily in office-based roles.

 

To this end we surveyed 2,000 UK workers, split between 1,000 managers and 1,000 non-managerial employees. The surveyed managers have over 15 years of work experience and work in companies of more than 15 employees. The surveyed non-managerial employees have a maximum of three years of experience, and work in companies with more than 15 employees. The goal of these sample requirements was to give us better insight into the attitudes held at different levels of seniority.

 

The Great Upskill is all about employees seeking greater fulfilment and engagement in their working lives. One of the key factors at pla is the pursuit of personal and professional development. While traditional workplace benefits relied on 'quick wins', such as team socials, employees now seek for greater meaning in their working lives. Our research found that 86% of employees would choose to stay with their employer for longer if they were offered frequent learning opportunities. This preference demonstrates that L&D is a major priority and motivator for employees and managers alike. Employers who understand this fact can benefit amid the Great Resignation and the rise of employee disengagement, i.e. 'quiet quitting'.

 

The findings show the impact of this trend on employee retention.

Fun at the office

52% of employees left a role because of a lack of training

A staggering 52% of employees admitted that they had left a role due to the lack of development opportunities. This clear indicator shows that there is a practical and real-world impact of this trend. And HR departments are seeing impact extend to the recruitment process. In fact, 92% of workers surveyed reported that, if choosing between two potential employers, they would choose the employer who offered the best learning and development opportunities.

 

Our research also found that,  despite the rising priority of training for workers, employers are not necessarily addressing this issue through frequent training. In fact, 48% of employees said they had not received training in the last 12 months. In addition, 22% of managers reported that they did not receive as much training as they would like.

Impact of L&D on employee engagement and business ROI

Our goal with this research project was to better understand the Great Upskill trend. It gives us our greatest insights yet into the attitudes that have developed in the workplace in the aftermath of furlough. These attitudes are what's behind the rise of remote working and shifting social attitudes.

 

Businesses may be tightening their belts due to recent economic uncertainty. But our research indicates that in terms of real-world impact, training is one of the most beneficial tools a business can utilise to safeguard their workforce and optimise employee engagement. As well as reducing employee turnover, training supports recruitment and increasing employee engagement. What's more, 81% of managers surveyed as part of our research project found that training had a positive impact on their business's bottom line.

 

The insights from our research are fascinating and demonstrate a clear social trend around The Great Upskill, and UK media agreed. We secured six news features relating to this research and trend, including in:

 

 

HR Review

 

Intelligent CXO

 

People Management Magazine

 

Startups Magazine

 

The Global Recruiter

Want to foster a learning culture at your organisation?

Get in touch with us to talk about your L&D challenges, aims, and strategies – we'd love to hear from you!