Abstract
This chapter will review the concept of third-party resources for workplace learning and how organizations can use this as part of a greater learning content and knowledge strategy. This chapter will define what constitutes third-party libraries, such as LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, EmTrain, and Skillshare, and how these tools can support corporate goals. This includes looking at how third-party libraries are being used to bolster both employee retention efforts as well as general employee upskilling. Workplace learning is no longer the purview of HR or corporate leadership. The benefits and challenges of implementing such solutions are discussed. Future areas of research are also reviewed.
TopA Brief History Of Workplace Learning
Workplace learning has a history as long as work itself. Apprentices learned their trade at the feet of a master craftsman long before formal workplace training was established. As early as 1812, German and Prussian armies used wargames to allow soldiers to develop their skills before engaging in conflict with the enemy (Lewis, 2016). The late 1800’s saw the rise of formal training schools and company-specific training programs for employees (Lewis, 2016). The use of role-playing scenarios, which are still common in live training settings, dates back to 1910, when Moreno described the technique (Lewis, 2016).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Learning Organization: A formal organized body created to develop key employee skills and knowledge to support organizational requirements and needs.
Great Resignation: (Also known as the great reshuffle) is the period of time starting from the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic where employees resigned from their job, in some cases without another job already secured.
Educational Technology: Any medium, digital or otherwise, that can be used to support the learning function in a variety of environments including academic, corporate, and government.
Workplace: Any location or place where work can be performed for an organization; this includes both physical and virtual locations.
Learning Knowledge and Content Strategy: A framework that focuses on the learning collateral that an organization uses, which could be purchased, freely accessed, or internally created, to support the developmental needs of its employees.
Workplace Learning: At the intersection of work and the knowledge needed to perform a job-related function, lies the conglomeration of formal or informal learning program(s) tasked with supporting the training of its employee base.
Third-Party Learning Resources: Any content that can be obtained, purchased or otherwise, from a third party to support learning in the workplace.
Internally-Created Learning Content: This content, created by either internal organizational resources, or contractors, where the focus on the content is specific to key processes that may be unique to a team or organization.
Purchased Learning Content: Content that is purchased by an organization to address a specific mandatory, required or regulatory need (i.e., cybersecurity and harassment prevention).