With the megatrends (digitalization, industry 4.0, VR), the professional profile of trainers and professionals in further education is changing. That much is certain. Everything will change! Everything? Much will change. Much will also remain the same, because who can really say exactly what changes will occur. In this article, I would like to give an overview of what this future working world for trainers could look like and how you can prepare yourself.
For the introduction: my example for learning and working in 2041
A scenario is presented by Jöran Muuß-Merholz for the year 2041 with the fitting title: “Learning between coffee and artificial intelligence.” He describes how learning and working go hand in hand. Employees network and cooperate due to their work tasks. Current learning content is also shared with colleagues and other learners. To support this, learning coaches play an important role. They coordinate these processes and bring the right people together. These learning coaches assist employees as companions and supporters in the learning process.
I assume that in large companies, these learning coaches are a permanent part of the workforce. In smaller and medium-sized enterprises, external trainers, coaches, or other learning professionals will take on this role. Why? Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have the personnel capacities or the staff with these special skills. Trainers no longer just conduct face-to-face training but are integrated into the long-term learning strategy of the company. Here, the role of the enabler and learning companion comes to the forefront. Trainers are also points of contact for learning strategies and learning concepts. They will work closely with management, as these managers influence the training transfer and legitimize the training measures.
For the structure: What you can orient yourself to
New opportunities through further education 4.0
For further education 4.0, some theses are crystalizing. With the right preparation, you can act confidently as a trainer in the working world 4.0:
Thesis 1: Learning is self-organized, self-responsible, networked, and flexible in time and place – supported by a variety of media.
(more on this in the Education Report) These conditions are the starting point for your training. You are familiar with the various media and employ the right learning methods with the corresponding media. Additionally, you look for interesting learning materials for your participants and offer one-on-one discussions and other consulting services that support the development of your participants.
Thesis 2 – With digitalization, the demand for further education is increasing.
This should please you as a trainer because further education and training are not among the sectors that are heavily threatened by automation (these sectors are at risk). Working in distributed and multicultural teams increases the importance of soft skills. For this, you understand the technical aspects of collaboration and take care of the human side (communication, participation, creativity, etc.)
Thesis 3 – Trainers become learning advisors/companions/coaches/tutors
They are the link between theory and practice. They advise, accompany, and support the learning individual in their (learning) endeavors.
If you are interested in more background on the theses, you can check out the Barcamp Further Education 4.0, the CLC MOOCathon 2025, and Competence Development on the Net - Learning Architecture in Companies.
The initial changes are already noticeable and indicate the direction of development.
What is already changing today in further education?
Trainers, coaches, consultants, and other learning professionals are also subject to the changes mentioned above. Where are changes already noticeable? I will briefly introduce you to three areas and then show you how you can address these changes.
The learning points and learning settings are changing:
Corporate learning will increasingly shift to self-defined time frames. Synchronous exchange will not disappear. However, it will no longer be found in training to the same extent as it is today. Presence time will continue to play an essential role for direct social exchange. Because in live events, relationships are built that are continued through other communication channels (asynchronously, for example, via chat). These relationships form the basis for long-term cooperation. Learning, in terms of information acquisition, is already increasingly taking place through formats that offer learners more freedom and flexibility. For example, with the help of self-learning courses that are always available. Such a self-learning course presents the key ideas that will later be further worked on in a face-to-face seminar.
The best learning experiences will be a mixture of synchronous live events and asynchronous offerings. For example, a blend of webinars, self-learning courses, and short in-person units. As for learning settings, formats such as MOOCs, Barcamps, or World Cafés will gain significance in training. Learners will benefit from these changes, but so will you as a trainer.
Self-determined further education
The direct access to information has never been easier and faster than today. If I want to learn something new, I now have the opportunity to search in a vast sea of information. I can do this alone, but it takes time. How can a trainer help me? What the trainer can do for me is prepare or process the relevant information. Since the amount of learning time during work will be limited, it should not be filled with information searches. Here, the trainer acts as a curator and selects the best materials for me. They can also make a pre-selection for me, and I decide what I want to use. For this reason, trainers will not disappear soon. Additionally: Understanding the content is only the first step. I need someone by my side to give me feedback on my implementation and motivate me to keep working. Only by taking action do I implement what I have learned. There is rarely only one correct path. I reach my goal faster when I exchange ideas with another expert about various possibilities and receive advice and recommendations.
Long-term learning processes and developmental processes
Learning, competence development, and behavioral changes have one thing in common. Without time and repetition, little moves. Humans do not operate like computers. Once stored, always accessible. Repetition is key. The technologies around mobile learning have made it easier to offer short learning units at regular intervals. Trainers today deal less frequently with individual events; instead, they accompany long-term development.
What competencies do I need?
First, the good news: You are already applying many of these skills. As a trainer, you are already dealing with the three most essential areas: You are in contact with your participants, you work with your clients, and the third area, you interact with technology and media. Depending on your training field and your target group, you may discover where your focal points lie. In my experience, in the area of media and technology, the biggest challenge is staying up to date, as the most changes occur here in a short time.
If you want to deal with these competencies, these points can give you a first point of reference:
Media didactics knowledge: How do I create videos, graphics, PDF documents, presentations…?
Methodological knowledge about learning methods: Which learning forms do I use in face-to-face training? Which learning methods are suitable online?
For success: Here’s how you can get started on the topic
What can I do today?
Choose one of the skill areas or competencies mentioned above and inform yourself on the topic with the help of a Google search. Check the websites of various training magazines to see if you can find summaries on the topic. Start a discussion with trainer friends or colleagues on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Xing. Do this over the course of a week so that by the end of the week, you will have dedicated one to two hours to the topic. After one week, your next “theme week” begins, and you will have quickly gained a rough overview. You then deepen a single area of the topic. You learn more about the topic and apply skills. This could be a learning experiment with Twitter, producing your own short videos, searching for great content for your training, testing a creativity technique, or designing a webinar session.
Now it’s your turn:
Where is your journey heading? Think about it and write your result on our blink.it Facebook page or in the comments. I am curious!
