New Year, New Career
As 2022 draws to a close, we can take some time to draw a breath in what has been yet another tumultuous year of political and economic upheaval. It seems that we will have to get used to living in uncertain times, but amongst the chaos there also lies opportunity for change and renewal and although we might not be able to influence the broader world, we can all look at our own plans for personal development and growth in 2023, particularly when it comes to our career development.
The L&D sector plays a central part in helping companies develop their staff to build workforces that are flexible in skills and attitude that can adapt quickly to change.
“The responsibility of learning has always been to help organizations navigate uncertainty and chaos in the world.” Linda Cai Vice President Talent Development, LinkedIn
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L&D: A bright light in the ‘Big Tech Crunch’
Against a recent backdrop of doom in tech that has seen layoffs announced across several big companies including Meta, Twitter and Stripe the L &D sector provides a hopeful contrast. Edtech is booming in the UK and Ireland and the L&D sector as a whole is struggling to recruit to meet demand.
Having grown by 72% in 2020, the UK EdTech sector is now valued at an estimated £3.2bn. With COVID-19 acting as an accelerator, technology has proved a vital solution amidst school closures, lockdown measures, and increased digital adoption in both B2B and B2C markets. The UK is starting to punch above its weight, attracting 41% of all EdTech investment in Europe and the growth in demand for technology solutions from schools, universities, students, and teachers. (Wright, 2021)
This Year’s Workplace Learning report from LinkedIn included the following key statistics:
- Demand for L&D specialists increased 94% in July –September 2021, compared with April – June 2021
- 48% of L&D professionals in the UK are expecting their budgets to increase this year.
- L&D pros saw 15% more promotions this year, compared with their HR counterparts 5%
- 68% agree that L&D has become more collaborative, particularly with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion with improved employee engagement and talent development.
The place of L&D is changing, and it feels like it is finally being recognised as a key part of every business.
How can you get involved in this thriving L&D sector?
As L&D grows, companies are both upskilling current employees and recruiting from other industries to meet demand, and what they are looking for is relevant experience and transferable skills.
This year we have helped a significant number of teachers graduate as instructional designers with our popular and successful Professional Certificate in Instructional Design.
Teachers have taken our certificate either to elevate their own career development in teaching, as education increasingly uses more digital and online resources, or to move away from teaching into a new career as an Instructional Designer.
At first glance moving from teaching to instructional design might seem quite a leap, but teachers have many key transferable skills they can bring to instructional design.
To facilitate effective learning both teachers and Instructional Designers consider: learners’ needs and environment, learning objectives, outcomes, and goals, what success looks like for learners, and what skills/knowledge learners need to acquire.
The top transferable skills teachers have for Instructional Design include communication and listening skills, the ability to problem-solve and lead, along with the ability to distill complex information into bite-sized pieces for teaching colleagues or customers. “It makes them a powerhouse at the company,” (Dixon, 2022)
Of course, communication, listening, and problem solving are skills that are not unique to teaching and in fact a career in instructional design is accessible to both career starters and changers, and it makes an attractive choice for professionals at all levels. As part of an L&D team developing eLearning resources, Instructional Designers are a fundamental role and a growing career path in the industry.
Another area that is proving attractive to people looking to break into the L&D sector is Learning Experience Design (LX Design).If you’re looking to transition into LX Design the Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design is a great way to acquire the knowledge and skills you need to launch a career in this field.
At the Digital Learning Institute we continue to expand with new exciting offerings on the horizon for 2023 including two new certificates for next year in Immersive Learning & Accessibility in Digital Learning.
If you are looking to upskill in your current role in L&D or looking at L&D as a potential sector to start building a new career you can find lots more information on our website including student stories and industry insights, see more at: Digital Learning Institute
Here is to a productive and prosperous New Year!
References
Wright (2021) The Elusive UK EdTech “Unicorn”. https://www.odgersinterim.com/uk/who-we-are/intelligence/the-elusive-uk-edtech-unicorn-roundtable-for-education-technology-leaders-5056/
Dixon (2022) The great teacher resignation. https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2022/05/01/the-great-teacher-resignation/
Coniam (2022) Ireland’s Financial Blind Spot Hit by Mass Tech Job Cuts. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-11/ireland-s-financial-blind-spot-hit-by-mass-tech-job-cuts?leadSource=uverify%20wall
Linkedin Learning (2022) The Transformation of L&D https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/workplace-learning-report/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2022-EN.pdf
CIPD (2022) Learning and development roles https://www.cipd.co.uk/careers/career-options/learning-development-roles?gclid=CjwKCAiAjs2bBhACEiwALTBWZdf2PSllf-gnpYOVF-0MG-q6MSs3IyPHQ83TLMiYCG_84hXpxIuG4hoC2agQAvD_BwE