The Cegos Asia Pacific Survey | Conclusions

Conclusions on The Cegos Asia Pacific Survey on “Major Learning Trends across the Region”

1. There are many positive indicators for the state of learning and development across Asia Pacific, coupled with some very challenging messages for how learning is executed.
2. There is a very motivated Learner community, learning provision is growing in most countries, and there is a huge shift towards business and management-related learning and development. This is especially evident in China.
3. There is evidence of a strong Learner-driven development and growth culture, led by the Millennial generation, and more so for the iGeneration in less than 8 years.
4. Technology-enabled learning is on the rise, driven largely by the Learner community itself – an indication of future trends, current needs and the existing gaps.
5. Technology-enabled learning is NOT replacing traditional training methods. In fact the Human Touch is as important as ever. It merely enhances the learning solutions that are available to an increasingly development-hungry new Learner generation. More outlets, methods and tools to learn with.
6. However, there is a growing gap between Learning Professionals and this new empowered Learner community, the danger being an externalisation of learning, rather than a strongly collaborative, internally driven learning culture within organisations.
7. Some reasons for this may be cultural, generational, lack of skills, apathy, lack of budget, economic immobilisation, the pace of change, globalisation and more.

The main disconnects observed are:

• Uptake, integration and usage of technology-enabled tools, mobile learning and elearning.
• The provision of learning internally is not always aligned to the true needs and motivations of the Learner community itself.
• The need to internally know how to harness informal learning, which this newly-empowered generation appears to have a hunger for.
• Evidence of some Learning Professionals needing to catch up and skill up on new tools, technologies, learning techniques and solutions. Only then can a spirit of closer engagement be rebuilt with both communities.