Corporate Mobile Learning Solutions for Millennials

Okay, so here’s the lowdown on eLearning solutions for millennials, and where corporate training is headed.

The workforce is rapidly evolving all the time, and this evolutionary process shows zero signs of slowing.

The internet has now risen to workplace primacy in the first couple decades of the new millennium.

Naturally, all your employee training takes place online and will continue to do so for years to come.

eLearning As The New Normal

A huge amount of business is conducted online or using online apps now, and using eLearning to train new and existing employees has been the norm for the better part of a decade.

It makes good sense and it’s been working for you. Now, as with all forms of growth, you are running into a new hurdle to overcome.

The Generational Training Gap

Millennials are now entering the workforce.

Your existing people retire or move on to different roles or jobs elsewhere, and you hire new younger team members to replace them.

These new workers are encountering friction as they start work, effective job training is slowing down, and turnaround time for onboarding and acclimating new employees seems like it’s getting longer.

Are you wondering why?

The eLearning approach and strategies that worked so well for the previous generations in your employ don’t work with younger employees.

They have grown up in completely different educational settings, attended universities and job training programs that use bleeding edge educational technology, and they are far more comfortable working and living online than their predecessors.

It’s not their fault or yours, the world has simply continued to change, develop, and evolve.

This is a good thing, but you need to evolve with it.

One effective solution to streamlining and updating content to make it useful for mobile learning. Here’s some reasons why you need to do it.

Let’s Talk Numbers

Per a five year study conducted by Ambient Insight (2012-2017 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market Longitudinal Trends), nearly 75 percent of workers access eLearning resources via a mobile device.

Even when it’s not optimized for mobile browsers or devices, the convenience and accessibility factors of acquiring or continuing their job training via mobile device both have a significant impact on what’s driving learners to learn on the go.

They can work on training and refreshing their knowledge base anytime and anywhere, and that instant access to necessary information is something that nearly all millennials have had access to since they got their first smartphone.

If two thirds of the workforce is going to access your training resources from their mobile device anyway, you may as well make it more convenient for them.

Mobile eLearning Acclimates Trainees Faster

Many sectors of industry have already seen success with faster new employee turnaround and more rapid job readiness thanks to mobile eLearning.

Optimizing training and continuing education into a mobile format makes it far easier for new employees to direct their own learning and work at comfortable pace for them rather than being forced to work at the same pace as a classroom instructor.

Mobile eLearning apps also help users guide their learning experience by curating content specific to their needs once they have the basic job skills training out of the way.

For example, learnings are surveyed to determine what type of further training and development they wish to pursue.

Apps may recommend communication skills for team leaders, or compliance training for those who work in manufacturing and need to ensure they are meeting code enforcement and inspection expectations.

Content Curation is Far Easier on a Mobile Platform

When content is packaged for mobile devices, learners who have spent the better part of their lives training and educating themselves online more readily absorb and retain information.

Younger workers spend their daily screen time using their phones or other mobile devices, so curating content that will pique their interest and cater to their preference for on-demand online training is critical to effective job training.

Curating content for mobile also makes it far easier for each trainee or employee to find the right content to help them make the most of their time on the clock.

It allows everyone to ensure they know what they need to know for daily responsibilities, and if they don’t know they can whip out their phone and refresh their memories or learn that content immediately.

Final Thoughts

The newest generation joining the workforce is already acclimated to eLearning and mobile learning from their years spent in vocational/technical and university education.

Even elementary and secondary schools are integrating mobile learning into daily routines, and the foreseeable future indicates this is not a trend that will be going away.

You need to start meeting your new trainees and employees where they are in the manner which they have become accustomed to learning and engaging with educational content.

Keep your new employees happy, productive, and well-educated throughout their career.

On a related note, don’t neglect the power of learning games. For a breakdown on how and why gamification can help you implementa  mobile learning strategy, check our blog here.