A pioneering approach to learning

By the 27 February 2020

Are you willing to acquire new skills (or enhance them)? Do you dedicate the time? How do you learn to get results?

I would want to take the opportunity to share with you our insights while designing and launching our new skills acquisition collection, with the objective of describing some of the challenges that we will need to overcome as humans soon.

A pioneering approach to learning and developping soft skills

Learning today

Today’s learners are far more demanding than those in the past. They want to enjoy the learning experience and build their skills in a flexible and dynamic way that fits with their busy lifestyles. Good training should also be accessible anytime and promote interactions with people, as we learn more when we share with others, give and get feedback.

The focus of many training programmes in the past has progressed from the gaining of knowledge, to practice, to application. We wanted now to go a step further by triggering direct transfer to the workplace and promoting human interaction via a digital platform; a programme of learning transfer that brings tangible results.

Leaders need to prepare their people for a future that is uncertain. Their biggest challenge is often dealing with lack of commitment and the retention of talent who want to progress their careers.

Indeed, the world of work is changing rapidly, yet many people are unprepared for the challenges ahead. That’s why the ability to adapt and solve problems, along with the other skills such as communication and creativity, will be key to future success.

With demand for soft skills on the rise, we created the #UP Skills Acquisition Collection as a vehicle to engage people who want to improve the human touch.

There will always be demand for niche skills like programming intelligence. The rest of us will need to find ways to show our strengths and prove that we can add value.

Soft skills for the future

Artificial Intelligence is having a huge impact on the modern workforce, so we will all need to redefine our roles as AI becomes pivotal to what we do. This will require boosting those soft skills that AI simply cannot replicate.

This is my top 5 selection of soft skills that will add value to our employers and clients:

  • Problem Solving
    Decision-making skills and creativity are key to analysing problems and providing a solution.
  • Communication
    The ability to persuade and influence will set you apart from the competition, as will the ability to effectively communicate in a range of new platforms.
  • Continuous Learning (aka Learn to Learn)
    We must always be aware of our obsolescence and take steps to keep our skills up-to-date. Adapting to change and being able to integrate new knowledge is therefore crucial.
  • Understanding Consumerism
    Developing successful customer relationships is no longer the sole responsibility of the sales & marketing departments – we are all responsible.
  • Ethical Behaviour
    Society is challenged to adhere to principle-based behaviours, along with an awareness of environmental sustainability and mental health

How we created a new way with #UP

The #UP programme offers a unique approach to help people build these soft skills; one that motivates continuous development whilst being relevant to the professional role of the participant. It includes:

  • A choice of learning modules that personalise the process.
  • An individual development programme that focuses on implementation from day one.
  • Tuition from a personal coach.
  • Guidance for line managers, mentors or learning buddies on how to support their team and create practical opportunities for growth.

We often hear that learning should be easy, but learning needs some effort: we don’t learn in the comfort zone! That’s why I like that with this collection we focus on achieving tangible results, asking participants to show evidence that they have applied the new skills and attained those results.

Results in the workplace require an investment of time, which is one of the most valuable resources we have. We make good use of that time, ensuring people take only as long they need to acquire the new skill, so the learning is synchronous with practising on the job.

A promising start

The learning content has been designed to engage, making it clear to the learner exactly how they can transfer their skills to the workplace. We focus on making the learning experience accessible, using a conversational approach and enabling the learner to find relevant content easily. What’s more, they get the human support they need, when they need it.

Before the launch, our teams trialled the #UP Skills Acquisition Collection with participants from several companies and countries. The feedback has been very positive. They love the experience and enjoy how the training encourages day-to-day practice through guided opportunities to transfer learning to their workplace:

As we roll out the new collection, our teams will keep researching, collecting LX feedback and measuring results. We will continuously enhance the learning journey, introducing extra features that can positively impact the overall experience.

We’re certainly excited about what the future holds for #UP and how it will inspire others to make learning more practical and effective.


To learn more about the #UP Skills Acquisition Collection, visit our website here.   

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Ken Govan

Ken Govan Since 4 years

Personalisation of learning was a hot topic at learning Technologies 2020 in London with a lot of interst in how the #UP collection avoids the trap of being paralysed by too much choice and lets the learner decide the best focus for themself. Guidance from L&D professionals and choice from the learner.

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Jonathan Mohadeb

Jonathan Mohadeb Since 4 years

Thanks for your comment, Ken Govan! Indeed, personalisation is crucial and no wonder it has been such a present topic in Learning Technologies! The right level of choice and guidance are key in this experience.

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