The Corona crisis is bringing digitalization in the education sector into focus. How could a "Corona revolution" affect companies? We explore the opportunities and possibilities for HR developers in future training.

"Let’s assume that because of the coronavirus, digital learning in Germany makes a giant leap forward – would we then only learn from home?" – This is the question that the exciting podcast by Tagesschau from March 19, 2020 addresses. The episode mainly focuses on developments in schools and universities, which are currently at the center of a "digital revolution".

After finishing school or university, the digital discussion seems to also come to an end, even though lifelong learning continues both in companies and privately. This inspired me to think a step further in this article:

How would such a “Corona revolution” in schools change training in companies?

For this, I summarize some exciting core statements from the podcast and transfer the results to corporate training:

The Basis: Developing Digital Competences in the School System

Germany has a backlog in digital competences, as former Google CEO Christian Baudis emphasized at Learntec 2020. This especially affects the school system: "Germany still lacks the realization that it is crucial for children and young people (…) to understand and master this digital world well", says the Tagesschau podcast.

The fact is: Children and young adults often lack important digital competences today, and this is not just a problem for schools. This deficiency tends to persist until the future employer.

As long as many companies offer traditional training that corresponds to the usual frontal teaching in schools, a lack of digital competence is likely to be secondary. However, if companies follow the trend of developing digital learning offerings for employees, missing media and digital competences can lead to serious barriers.

In stronger digital competence in schools lies probably the greatest opportunity for a revolution in companies: The goal of digital teaching must be in the future to build digital and media competences to prepare children for the realities of life after school.

Digital learning in schools can become the foundation for future training in companies.

The Opportunity: Revolution in Corporate Training

Due to the current crisis, there could very well be a Corona revolution in all phases of lifelong learning. It is important not to view digitalization as an end in itself: "The aim is not that everything suddenly has to be digital. Rather, 'digital' should be used where it provides added value" – in my opinion, this applies equally to schools and companies.

If future employees learn these important competences already in school, e-learning in companies could gain widespread acceptance. Ideally, young employees in the future will be accustomed to self-directed learning with digital tools and could seamlessly transfer these habits into working life.

“Learning digitally” does not mean “social isolation”

Of course, there are also critical voices regarding digital schools: Experts fear particularly social isolation among students when the learning environment becomes entirely digital.

Some universities are already a step further. A math professor reports in the podcast about a combination: The theoretical lectures are offered as videos online. This is intended to make face-to-face time more meaningful, for example, for questions or interactions.

This fear of social isolation in purely digital work and learning also often exists in companies: Even in seminars or team training, getting to know each other, exchanging ideas, and mutual motivation during learning are important. For training and seminars in companies, the same concept has been successfully used for years as in universities:

With the combination of in-person training and online courses, companies can leverage the advantages of both learning methods in parallel. Blended learning could thus be a method that is reflected back from the corporate and university sectors to schools. Consequently, the connection of in-person and online learning could perhaps become the all-round learning concept for all age groups in the future.

Reading Tip: You can find everything about blended learning, the combination of in-person and online learning, on our extensive information page "Blended Learning in Practice".

Conclusion: What the Future of Training Could Look Like

For you as an HR developer or trainer in companies, this thought exercise means:

• Digital learning will become even more important in all age groups from students to your (future) employees.

• Young employees could bring better self-learning and digital competences in the future.

• E-learning and blended learning could become standard offerings of companies in the future.

• You as the responsible person must also expand your own competences to keep pace with developments and offer employees high-quality digital learning content.

Whether such a “Corona revolution” will occur will be shown in the coming years. What is quite certain is that the current situation will not slow down the trend toward digital learning in companies. The only question is how strong the impetus for the future of training will be.

Even today, more and more companies are focusing on digital learning to train employees independently of location and time. Are you currently facing the challenge of starting e-learning in your company? Then download our free checklist for starting e-learning now and develop the basis for future training in your company step by step.