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December 9, 2024 Startups, Technology & Innovation

Demand grows for online training programs

Travis Grosser
By Michael Puffer
RELATED STORY: Growing CT tech startup CoachEm uses AI to develop online training for sales managers
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As it has become apparent that a larger percentage of the workforce will remain remote compared to pre-pandemic times, companies have been increasingly leaning on online tools to coach staff in company culture and skills, experts say.

The number of U.S. corporations using online training jumped from about 77% in 2017 to approximately 98% in 2020, a trend likely brought on by the pandemic-induced embrace of remote work, said Travis Grosser, academic director of graduate programs in HR management for UConn’s School of Business.

“Anecdotally, I have spoken to human resources professionals in the learning-and-development space who are excited about the possibilities presented by emerging online training options, including those with an AI component,” Grosser said. “The overall corporate e-learning industry is projected to grow to approximately $50 billion in the next two years, which suggests that demand is not slowing in the near future.”

AI-powered tools address the challenge of personalizing training at scale, Grosser said. Personalized learning increases training effectiveness compared to more generic training programs, he noted, and some research also suggests that retention is higher with online training compared to face-to-face options.

Venus Fisher

Venus Fisher, dean of the Malcolm Baldridge School of Business at Post University, said companies are grappling with shortages of specific skills and are open to paying for targeted online training.

“Online is here to stay and employers are placing greater emphasis on it,” Fisher said. “They are really eager for tailored learning experiences that allow increased flexibility and greater value.”

Post was an early adopter of online education. Today, it has about 650 on-campus students and more than 15,000 enrolled online, about 70% of whom are working adults, Fisher said. The university also offers 15 undergraduate and graduate-level certificate programs, for people looking to burnish certain skills, like forensic accounting or marketing, outside of a full degree program.

“These kinds of certificate programs, these micro-credentials, are becoming more and more popular,” Fisher said.

Shifting demands

David Lewis

David Lewis, chairman and CEO of Norwalk-based HR and outsourcing consultant OperationsInc LLC, said his training arm lost about 80% of its business in the second and third quarters of 2020, as companies gravitated toward pre-packaged and self-paced online training modules.

OperationsInc relied on live training, either in-person or via Zoom.

That business has more than rebounded and gained ground, Lewis said, as companies realize the value of tailored sales tactics, company culture and skills-based training.

OperationsInc was acquired in June by Illinois-based Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global provider of insurance brokerage, risk management and HR consulting.

In the coming year, Lewis said his roughly 160-staff operation will combine with 25 other HR companies acquired by Gallagher, blending the best practices of each. He said he has no question his company’s future involves the integration of artificial intelligence, which will drastically reduce the time it takes to develop training programs.

“I’m sure there are people out there who are very threatened by AI,” Lewis said. “I am not. I feel as it evolves, it will change all of our lives forever.”

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