“Face to face learning is growing again,” says Richard
Smith, chief commercial officer of Wyboston Venue Management, “as organisations
find that it delivers better engagement and complements online training.”
“Organisations are recognising that human connection and
interaction, in-person collaboration and the learner’s personal experience play
a vital and irreplaceable role in maximising the benefits and value that
training will deliver,” Smith continued. “That’s what face to face learning
adds, enhancing and complementing online learning in a hybrid combination, not
competing with it or AI.”
This is one of the key observations in ‘The
Role of Face-to- Face Training in a GenAI World’ a research report
published by Wyboston Venue Management sharing valuable insights and opinions
from Learning & Development industry experts. The report is free
to download.
Nearly all learning went online during the pandemic. Now
face-to-face learning, which was previously the number one delivery method, has
returned, especially in areas such as professional services, and for leadership
and behavioural change training. According to Richard Smith, many organisations
found that ‘trying to put the accent on virtual didn’t achieve the aims they
wanted.’
Nahdia Khan, director at Tasir Consulting and a corporate
learning thought leader, firmly believes that face-to-face has a very important
role to play still. She says that while technology can enhance access and
personalisation, it cannot replicate the relational and trust-building
functions that face-to-face learning fulfils.
Richard Smith added: "Training providers are
now very focused on the delegate experience. They want what happens outside the
classroom to be just as important as what goes on in the classroom. Completing
the training is important but so is the engagement delegates have had whilst
doing the training, reflecting a shift to making the overall in-person
experience more impactful, memorable and valued.”
Giving a training provider’s perspective, Kevin Mansell,
managing director of Control F, which provide digital forensics training, said: “We get a lot more engagement from delegates in a
face-to-face environment.”
This growing and regular demand has prompted many training
providers to consider cost-efficient delivery. Control F and IT training
provider Firebrand, for instance, has contracted space at Wyboston Lakes
Resort, renting rooms on a long-term basis so that classrooms are
permanently ready.
This report finds that face-to-face learning continues to
offer irreplaceable value in a world dominated by digital efficiency.
Integrating digital tools while maintaining the human element creates powerful,
personalised and purpose-driven learning experiences that meet the demands of
the modern workforce.
www.wybostonvenuemanagement.co.uk/
