HR leaders should encourage workforce education programs as a way to attract, retain, and develop top talent, address skills gaps, create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and foster a culture of innovation and adaptability. By investing in workforce education programs, organizations can build a competitive workforce that is better equipped to meet the challenges of the future. As the nature of work continues to evolve, HR leaders must be proactive in identifying new ways to develop and manage talent, and workforce education programs represent a valuable tool in achieving this goal.
Today’s HRchat guest says “education can change people’s lives. Workforce education programs can spark that change and provide real life-changing growth opportunities.” And we’ll be delving into the why and how of educating employees in this episode of the HRchat podcast.
I’m joined by Stephen Chu, Chief Legal and People Officer at InStride, a partner for businesses looking for ways to create sustainable advantage and social impact through the continuous growth of their people. In his role, Stephen oversees legal, compliance and HR functions.
Prior to InStride, Stephen was the General Counsel at Zwift, a global fitness platform for cyclists and runners. He reported to the Zwift CEO and led all legal and compliance matters.
Questions For Stephen Include:
- InStride’s network of top-tier academic institutions offers skills courses, certificates, industry certifications, and degrees designed to meet the in-demand and future needs of working adult students.Tell us more.
- In terms of returns on employee engagement, what are the key benefits of investing in learning and development programs for employees?
- How can HR people make the case to leadership that investing in employees’ education and development will not lead to them leaving for competitors?
- How can organizations measure the ROI of their investment in employee learning and development programs, and what metrics should they consider?
- Tell us about Strategic Enterprise Education (SEE) and how InStride’s championing it helps its partners retain and recruit talent.
- Is there inherent Corporate Social Responsibility in Strategic Enterprise Education?
- In September 2022, Amazon announced that it would partner with InStride to provide fully sponsored education programs for the 172,000 employees of its 3,000 Delivery Service Partners (DSP) through a new initiative called Next Mile. Tell us more.
Managing and Developing Your Employees
Human Resources (HR) leaders are facing new challenges when it comes to managing and developing talent in the modern workforce. As the nature of work continues to evolve, HR leaders are increasingly looking for new ways to attract, retain, and develop top talent. One effective way to achieve this is by encouraging workforce education programs.
Encouraging workforce education programs can help organizations to create a culture of continuous learning and development. By providing employees with opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge, HR leaders can help to increase employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction. This can also help to reduce turnover and attract top talent, as employees are more likely to stay with an organization that invests in their professional development.
In addition, workforce education programs can help to address skills gaps within the organization. As the pace of technological change accelerates, many organizations are struggling to keep up with the skills needed to remain competitive. By providing targeted training and development programs, HR leaders can help to bridge these skills gaps and ensure that employees have the skills needed to succeed in their roles.
Encouraging workforce education programs can also help to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. By providing employees with opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge, organizations can help to create a level playing field where all employees have the opportunity to succeed. This can help to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization, and create a culture of respect and collaboration.
Finally, workforce education programs can help to create a more innovative and adaptable workforce. By providing employees with opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge, organizations can help to foster a culture of creativity and innovation. This can help to drive new ideas and approaches, and enable organizations to adapt more quickly to changing market conditions.