Learning and development practitioners in industry: What are their development needs?

Steven Hodge

The project

• Funded by the Australian Institute of Training and Development (AITD)

• Research to model learning and development (L&D) practitioner needs

• Conducted by Steven Hodge (UB), Erica Smith (UB) and Llandis Barratt-Pugh (ECU)

AITD• Professional Development activities• AITD magazine and monthly newsletter• Networking events• Database of trainers which can be publicly accessed• Access to member-only information, including articles,

discussion forum, job listings• Eligibility for national Training Excellence awards• Professional recognition process• Discounts on professional products and services

Challenges of modelling L&D work

• Diversity of L&D work• Diversity of organisational settings• Diversity of roles• Diversity of techniques, knowledge & skills

deployed in L&D• Quantity, variable quality and complexity of

available knowledge

Research methods

Senior L&D practitioner interviews (N=16)• To inform model-building

Literature review• To inform model-building

L&D practitioner survey (N=796)• To validate model and indicate needs

The model

Premise• Understanding L&D practitioners needs

requires an understanding of skills used by practitioners as well as contexts in which these skills are deployed

The model

ContextsSkills

‘Practice Domain’

‘Individual Domain’

Roles+

Settings

Personal Sphere

+Craft Sphere

+Allied skills

L&D practitioners: Who are they?

• Most were female (62%) and from NSW (35%)• Average years in L&D: 14.8• Age profile:

• 20-29: 2.5%• 30-39: 17.2%• 40-49: 34.2%• 50-59: 34.7%• 60-69: 10.4%

L&D practitioners: Their work

• 32.5% worked in smaller organisations (<500)• 61.9% worked in a single organisation• 7.3% reported strategic L&D approach across

organisation• 50.8% reported that nationally recognised

training is used in their organisation(s)• 85.3% reported high level of customised L&D

L&D practitioners: Their work

• 60% work in teams• 17% described their work as ‘strategic’• 61.2% dedicated L&D role• 91% planned to stay in L&D• 80% affirmed the importance of networks to their

L&D work

L&D practitioners: Their needs

• Developing networks (61.5%)• Understanding the industry/ies of the

organisations in which L&D work takes place (59.8%)

• Understanding different organisational approaches to L&D (e.g. traditional vs. strategic) (59.3%)

L&D practitioners: Their needs

• Understanding the business and commercial aspects of organisations (58.2%)

• Developing confidence in dealing with senior staff (52.4%)

• Understanding different types of L&D work (e.g. consultancy, operational, strategic, supervision) (51.8%)

L&D practitioners: Learning preferences• Personal networks (90.3%)• Reading L&D literature (85.4%)• Formal face-to-face learning (73.3%)• Conferences (69%)• Networking events (67.6%)• Formal higher education (58%)• Online learning programs (53.5%)• Live online learning (53.2%)• Formal vocational education and training (51.3%)

Reflections on modelling L&D work

• ‘Archaeological’ aspect of L&D• The place of face-to-face L&D in a high-tech

environment• Question of the unity of L&D practice

Questions?