Traditional learning and development (L&D) models are no longer sufficient to adequately upskill your people with the high-demand skills needed in an uncertain economy.

Today’s organizations are in dire need of business and leadership skills over technical training, and flexible, continuous learning paths over “one-size-fits-all” solutions.

We’ll cover common L&D challenges organizations face today, and three strategies to transform L&D from a support function into a strategic growth lever for business.

The case to act now

Canada is experiencing a national skills shortage crisis:

The potential cost of not acting now is over $8 trillion in losses for our clients by 2030, as well as an overall $11+ billion loss in economic activity by 2040¹. Pair this with changing regulatory requirements, stakeholder priorities, and leadership capacities --- and the need for a scalable learning solution becomes vital.  

3 steps to elevate your L&D for the future of work

1. Anchor upskilling in business-critical capabilities, not just generic training

E-learning courses and technical training aren’t always updated to reflect your organization’s current business needs.

AI literacy is one notable skill in demand, but less than half of Canadians² report receiving any formalized AI training at work. Additionally, our Global Human Capital Trends highlight human skills in high demand like judgement, complexity, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

Soft skills training brings up to 250% ROI within 8 months³

The problem? These skills are tricky to develop without targeted learning and real-world practice. The solution is to link your learning to your business. For example, Deloitte Academies aligns tailor-made learning models to individual business priorities like sustainability, AI, CX, and more. We also inform courses and training with company, role, and industry-specific insights.

2. Design learning for impact, not completion

A rigid, start-to-finish course can’t prepare your staff to respond to a fast-changing market or work environment. On the other hand, continuous learning based on experiences can influence behaviour over time.⁴ This is what prepares your people to adapt to your business’s needs and drive meaningful impact amidst any market change.

Organizations that prioritize experiential, data-driven, personalized learning⁵ are:

Deloitte Academies⁶ creates personalized learning paths that include immersive environments, design thinking, and behavioural methods to empower leaders and staff to address complex business challenges. This competitive advantage helped one of our clients, a large investment bank, train their staff to create more innovative customer service methods to meet their audience’s changing expectations.

3. Treat learning as an operating system, not a side program

Standalone course content isn’t enough to upskill your employees, especially at scale. Your learning program needs a full-stack academy model to address a full picture of your talent and business environment, with a clear strategy, technology choices, governance, and ways to measure progress. Tie metrics directly to business impact, like productivity, skill development time, and ROI.

The Deloitte difference

Deloitte Learning Academies is an end-to-end solution that gives your organization the tools and system to upskill staff in business-critical domains, and scale that learning across all your entire organization. Our clients have demonstrated reduced time-to-skill⁷ while using our systems and a more adaptable workforce.

Specifically, we helped one beverage leader build a 5-month program to train sales staff into strategic business partners. We used a collection of workshops, industry interviews, and bespoke content to certify 450 professionals. About 80% of staff demonstrated successful learning within five months.

How Deloitte’s learning academies prepare for the future of work:

• Technical and leadership training: In-depth upskilling and world-renowned ecosystem partners to train within any department or business case.
• Tailor-made solutions: Customizable solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing programs and technology.
• Multi-learning platform: Leverage multiple models like mentorships, apprenticeships, self-paced learning, events, and new content.
• Customized learning experiences: Unique programs made to fit your staff’s needs and business objectives.
• Exclusive Deloitte experiences: Our signature client experiences offer exclusive access to innovative content from industry leaders.
• Industry faculty: Subject-matter experts and leading-class thought leaders lead our learning paths.
  

Continue the conversation

It’s time to permanently bridge the gap between your learning programs and your business priorities. The only way forward is to treat learning as an entire infrastructure that’s strategic, scalable, and human-centered.

Ready to create a skilled, innovative, and adaptable workforce? Let’s talk.