The alternative learning boom

In a COVID-19 world, the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that defined the business environment of the past few years have been exacerbated. In this setting, we are seeing and experiencing a pandemic that could generate an unprecedented clash between supply and demand, a setting where some startups are changing the rules of the game for industries, and even sectors, ousting the major players; where climate change is threatening companies’ inputs and thousands of jobs will be replaced by automation. We will overcome the effects of this pandemic, but uncertainty will persist.

This environment also invites us to respond rapidly to change, adapt and capitalize opportunities, which is why organizations must be capable of prioritizing ongoing training for its collaborators, regarding updating their knowledge as well as developing or strengthening their competencies. It is people’s skills and knowledge that will provide a competitive advantage for longer.

Learning in an environment like the current one also needs to be agile, flexible and actionable, meaning that many of the traditional training options will be obsolete. Alternative learning experiences, which today go hand in hand with digital technologies, assure ongoing professional development. They are characterized by offering alternative credentials unrelated to an undergraduate or graduate degree, by being accessible in format and cost, and by offering innovative learning techniques.

Some of the most popular are bootcamps, immersive, intensive and practical online programs for exploring current topics, such as circular economies, user experience, digital marketing or data analysis; massive open online courses, specialized and real-time learning programs to consolidate competencies based on business of today; and online micro degrees, courses on soft skills such as negotiation, leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation.

These educational tools will revolutionize a market in which businesspeople, executives, practitioners and entrepreneurs can take a proactive approach to their professional development and growth, giving them the opportunity to maintain a strategic advantage in the face of global trends and permanent change.

Article published in Perú 21.