Why is boosting corporate training a top priority in the European Employment Strategy?
Does educating employees affect productivity?
Which companies have a training culture?
Do they opt for internal, external or in-company training?

 

Q & A with Geert Peter de Oude, CEO of Onyx Online Learning and an expert in e-learning development.

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Q&A  Geert Peter de Oude –
Onyx Online Learning

“COMPANY TRAINING HAS A BIG IMPACT ON COMPETITIVENESS AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.”

[/message][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][vc_column_text]Investing in company training remains an undervalued aspect of a company’s policy. Figures, however, show that an investment in training and education pays off.
Geert Peter de Oude: “The competitiveness of a company in the EU is not based on low wages but on the combination of innovation, science and investing in human capital. Training and development of employees creates motivation and broader knowledge, with improved operating as a result.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”16859″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Do large companies invest more in training?
Geert Peter de Oude: “Absolutely. 84% of companies with over 200 employees are companies that educate their employees. This figure drops to 50% for companies with 50-200 employees and to 12% for companies with 10 to 50 employees. In small businesses, which employ up to 10 people, only 1.7% offer training. The ‘influx’ of staff is an important determinant of investment in training. As more workers are hired, training efforts are also increased. “[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Does the sector matter?
Geert Peter de Oude: “In sectors such as agriculture, hospitality and construction the training efforts are virtually nil. The energy sector, banking, insurance and the (petro)chemical, however, emphasize the importance of the skills of their staff.”[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The European Union wants to increase the employability of workers with ‘Lifelong Learning’ and wants to raise the competitiveness of businesses.
Geert Peter de Oude: “Technological advances, globalisation and robotics have a huge impact on the way we work. Employees’ skills have to meet increasingly high demands. The objective of ‘lifelong learning’ is that every employee, throughout his career, has access to training, to be able to respond to changes fast.”[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The Netherlands invest more than Belgium in continuous training.
Geert Peter de Oude: “In Belgium, 7% of all workers have access to continuous learning, in the Netherlands this is 19%. The Netherlands scored better than the European average of 10.7%, but remain behind compared to countries such as Switzerland and Denmark. “[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]What types of training do companies offer?
Geert Peter de Oude: “First, programs that mainly focus on teaching skills and acquiring knowledge. Technical training, on-the-job training, on-board training, product training. The programs are linked to specific characteristics of a company.
On the other hand, more general business courses, such as career coaching, leadership, customer service etc… “[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”60px”][image_with_text image=”16888″]Percentage of employees that have access to Lifelong Learning (broken down by country)[/image_with_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Are you a proponent of in-company training or do you prefer external training?
Geert Peter de Oude: “The choice depends on the purpose of your training. We differentiate between internal, external and in-company training.
Internal training will be prepared and executed by the company itself, which means that the material is immediately applicable.
The advantage of external training is that you benefit from the knowledge and experience of the coach and more quickly know what is going on with the competition. The downside is that a coach does not know the culture and educational goals of your company that well.
With in-company training through e-Learning, the curriculum is tailored to the educational goals of the organization. The United States has almost completely opted for this form of training and Europe is catching up. The disadvantage of this type of training is the price tag.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Why is internal training through e-learning more expensive?
Geert Peter de Oude: “Please remember, education via e-Learning is more expensive than purchasing a course, that’s for sure, but e-Learning is not more expensive than class teaching with the same purpose. You pay for a bespoke course, for a total concept of targeted training, including monitoring and test modules. However, you will save on teachers, infrastructure and travel costs.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Does training for e-Learning have an added value?
Geert Peter de Oude: “Training staff through e-Learning has many advantages, but is particularly suited for companies with a clear training goal.
E-Learning courses are available anytime, anywhere, have a proven higher returns, are versatile and require less time. “[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]E-Learning in figures.
Geert Peter de Oude: “Digital learning companies are doing well. Sales of e-Learning are at $ 91 billion. In 2018 this figure is expected to double. In the United States 77% of companies opt for training through e-Learning. In Europe, where external training is preferred, e-Learning is rapidly gaining ground.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Does a company need to have a ‘teaching expert’ in-house to provide e-Learning to its employees?
Geert Peter de Oude: “No, a positive attitude suffices. E-Learning developers, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff here, guide their clients from A to Z. They map (in consultation with the HR manager or prevention counselor, for example) the corporate identity, assess what the business needs, develop learning content, test modules and offer the administrative platform to their employees or third parties so they can offer all of the learning courses.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Does it pay to invest in company training?
Geert Peter de Oude: “Definitely, which is why it is one of the top priorities in the European Employment Strategy. The impact of the integration of corporate training within a company is huge, thanks to the positive impact on business performance and competitiveness of an enterprise. Why is that? Education promotes the employability of employees, plays on attitudes and motivation and removes the frictions between education and the labor markets.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]