Organisations with cultures that support and encourage continuous learning will reap the benefits in engaged employees and keeping up to date with developments in their industry.
“Businesses lacking in learning opportunities often see declines in employee morale and productivity, leading to high turnover rates and a workforce ill-equipped for a dynamic market environment,” says Dr Rowen Govender, the academic head in the school of health-care management at Regent Business School.
“Additionally, this deficiency can stifle innovation, preventing the organisation from developing new products or improving services that could capture market share and drive growth.
“In the long term, the inability to adapt to technological changes or evolving industry standards can result in a significant loss of relevance in the marketplace, jeopardising the company’s survival.”
He advises:
- There is a dire need for continuous learning in South African organisations, so leaders and human resources (HR) practitioners must view it as a strategic priority;
- Organisations need to develop flexible learning programmes that meet the needs of all employees, using online and blended platforms;
- A supportive corporate culture that values knowledge and innovation will encourage people to push themselves out of their comfort zones;
- Engage with educational institutions and government bodies to help to remove the many systemic barriers to continuous learning;
- The higher education sector can also help to instil a commitment to continuous learning by designing programmes that accommodate the schedules of working professionals; and
- There is a need for courses for executives and managers that focus on leadership, innovation and strategy to help them drive change.
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