Virtual Training is Here to Stay

I keep thinking about how navigating a global pandemic has forced an unprecedented transformation to how we do business. Just as most everyone has had to do this, the electric power industry, traditionally conservative and “slow to change,” has shifted to this present-day new norm of “most things virtual.” 

Yes, our hand was forced, but the outcomes of utilizing technology to “be together and learn together,” albeit virtually, is something that was much needed. As we still sometimes struggle to find the mute button, we’ve become quite savvy and accustomed to interacting in a virtual space and on multiple platforms – even for the self-proclaimed non-techies.  

Near and dear to my heart is workforce development and training – after all, our people are our most important assets and there is tremendous power (no pun intended) that comes through knowledge and learning.

Prior to the pandemic, in learning and development, virtual training (a.k.a. on-line training) existed; however, it wasn’t as widely deployed as the changing demographics sought. I recently wrote an article about this, Learning From Gen Z – Training for Today’s Workforce, where I suggested applying training best practices, as preferred by Gen Z, to all generations, providing flexible and highly-interactive training in a virtual environment. You can read the article for the details, nonetheless, here are those training best practices of Gen Z:

• Offer bite-sized learning
• Video is key
• Encourage collaboration
• Understand your technology
• Mobile friendly or bust

 What great strides we’ve made in just over a year, offering events and training in virtual formats, to meet the learning and development needs of today and tomorrow. I see the above best practices in play every day and how refreshing it is! 

There are some promising signs that the in-person, “face-to-face” options will again be on our calendars. Even with signs of travel on the horizon, I’m telling you that…

Virtual training is here to stay.

 That doesn’t mean that in-person training will become obsolete, to the contrary. Both in-person and virtual training offer their own benefits and will coexist together in a hybrid model moving forward. The win-win here is that we quickly developed and mastered new offerings to accommodate the many learning styles and preferences of today’s workforce.

I’m the first to admit that I can’t wait to get back out and in the travel mode, of course when it’s safe and as appropriate given alternatives that are now more readily available and common-day practice. However, for training, I will practice a hybrid model that includes blended learning, both in-person and virtual training. The benefits of virtual training are hard to ignore. This is how I see it…

 Benefits

• Cost savings: no travel-related expenses (airfare, ground transportation, parking, hotel, food, etc.) and budget-friendly tuition.
• Less time “away from the office” – no travel time to and from training.
• Less lost opportunity – those extra days to get to and from training can now be applied to other business, to practicing what was learned, or to taking additional training throughout the year.
• More easily digestible content – shorter sessions often spread over a number of days and on-demand offerings that are extremely convenient to pick up and put down and flexible with pause, replay, etc.
• Convenient – seriously, sitting in my home office is about as convenient as it gets!

High-quality, interactive offerings – the platforms and tools and how we design and administer training and events provides high-quality, convenient, and interactive training options.  

The goal is to provide effective learning and development opportunities to our workers to ensure that a skilled workforce is in place to support the grid of today and tomorrow.

For companies who have limited resources and lack the facilities to create and deliver training, outsourcing to trusted and proven training experts is a practical and feasible option. 

At OMICRON electronics we offer top-notch training from OMICRON Academy – to help you with your upskilling – to increase your skills and knowledge – or to just brush up on already familiar topics.

Learn more about OMICRON Academy Webinars and all OMICRON Training Courses, built around real testing situations; ideal for technical staff from electrical utilities, industrial plants, equipment manufacturers and service companies. 

Full steam ahead in this new norm of most things virtual. Happy learning!