Are you keeping a close radar on the performance of your workforce? From staying on top of industry trends to demoing brand new tech advancements, knowing which skills are critical to your organization’s success is invaluable and will help shape your training initiatives to incorporate cutting-edge solutions. 

5 Steps To Close the Skills Gap 

Ready to reinforce knowledge and close the skills gap with immersive learning? These expert steps will ensure that your organization can implement an effective strategy for addressing inconsistent performance, avoidable injuries, and more. 

1. Identify Skill Gaps

The first step to closing the skills gap is to jumpstart a comprehensive assessment of your workforce’s competency and which underperformance trends are hurting your organization the most. From performance tests to evaluations of where your workforce experiences the most common mistakes, identifying skill gaps can help your organization map which core competencies you’ll need to focus on in order to cultivate a prepared workforce.

Once specific skill gaps are identified, your organization can determine the right learning objectives to focus on in your immersive learning strategy. For example, in order to eliminate bottlenecks that slow production, a supply chain company might identify where employees fail to label boxes correctly. Identifying this performance inconsistency requires a closer look to observe the workflow and how employees deviate from their expected competency. From there, addressing that skill deficit in a corrective, hands-on learning path that addresses the objective of proper labeling. The power of immersive learning closes skill gaps with real experience!

2. Create A Corporate Training Strategy 

Effective corporate training strategies require an all-hands-on-deck approach to learning. As learning experts, SMEs, and innovators collaborate to meet the unique needs of each industry’s knowledge and skill gaps, even the most innovative corporate training strategy should apply core learning objectives to immersive learning modalities for maximum impact. 

The agility of your corporate learning strategy depends on several variables, including setting shared expectations with stakeholders and collaborators, establishing clear learning objectives, and asking the right questions when consulting with your selected vendor. Strategizing collaboratively will ensure that your training program gleams with every corner of industry expertise. Don’t forget to invite your SMEs to the table! Their insights can help your organization achieve new levels of efficiency. 

Allow your learning objectives to inform which training modalities will perform best for your specific needs. Once Looking for a dynamic approach? A blended learning model is a jewel box of training capabilities! Blended learning programs are one of the most popular strategies for implementing immersive learning solutions. 

3. Implement Innovative Training Practices 

Bringing innovation to your training program isn’t a one-stop shop. Early and frequent collaboration is essential to piloting successful VR programs and implementing virtual reality at full scale. Exploring the expansive benefits of immersive learning will help your organization get one step closer to closing the skill gaps across your workforce. 

There are many paths to modernizing your training program and creating a culture of ongoing learning in your organization. Augmented reality and virtual reality training bridge the digital and real-world working environments with interactive elements that promote active learning. While the modalities that fall under the XR training umbrellas aren’t siloed to certain kinds of training, AR and VR each have unique capabilities of getting everyone in your workforce on the same page.