Corporate training and learning have undergone dramatic changes in the last ten years. These changes have been fueled not only by shifts in formal education, but a host of technology advances and a new emerging workforce. Technology advances include the Internet, laptops, increased data storage, social media, and mobile devices. The emerging workforce has “grown up” using these new technology underpinnings to reach out and interact with their peers and colleagues in ways never possible before. Learning, which used to be a pursuit of the individual, is now an interactive effort within a group. We learn by doing, and doing has become a collaborative action. These changes have also fostered a major shift in how we set up the workplace to embrace new technologies and the collaborative spirit of how learning happens today.

The internet and mobile connectivity have paved the way for learners to access information anywhere and at any time. Trainers still need to impart formal course information, but today’s students want to learn from their peers as well. New technologies make it possible for students to reach each other more easily, making collaboration and group work more common. Tools like Google Docs, Basecamp, Skype, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter give students and trainers new opportunities for collaboration and instruction. Technology means that peers are also no longer limited by space or scheduling; they can work together and interact from any location and at any time, in or out of the training classroom. According to the research company IDC, there will be around 1.3 billion mobile workers by 2015. They will make up 37 percent of the global workforce, though this percentage will differ by country, according to the average age of the workforce and the level of IT development.

As an example, “Gamification” (online simulations pitting one training team against another) is becoming a successful component of many corporate training regimens. The spirit of competition among students not only makes learning more enjoyable, it increases retention and shrinks learning time. A 2011 Gartner Research Report predicted that by 2015, 70% of Global 2000 organizations will employ at least one gamified learning application.

Blended learning refers to the mixture of traditional instructor-led learning with advanced, computer-mediated activities. It integrates online, mobile, and instructor led learning to deliver a more thorough and engaging education experience. Trainers, for example, can present introductory materials in a traditional classroom setting. Personalized training exercises can then be delivered by the trainer via mobile devices such as tablets. Learning can occur after hours via YouTube or by applications such as “Chatter.”

Expectations are continuing to shift towards 24/7 access to information. To make learning more stimulating, today’s worker wants less formal, structured presentations and an increased focus on blended learning channels such as video, e-learning, face-to-face interaction and coaching. All of this must be delivered in an environment that can be easily personalized and configured for the learning task at hand. The advent of virtual, mobile and social technologies has also fostered a self-service learning model versus the passive (lecture-oriented) information transfer that occurred in years past. 66% of organizations are investing in mobile technologies for their employees. Today’s learners aggressively pursue learning on their own time frame and according to their own preferences. They also do it in collaboration with co-workers. This means that information has to be available in the wide variety of media and locations where learners want to consume it.

So, what does this mean for how you train and set up your workplace? You can make some simple adjustments that will take advantage of technology advances and encourage the collaboration that amplifies learning. Adopting these moves in a cohesive manner can create a place where everyone in your office learns and contributes more fully to the organization.

These changes involve:

It’s important that your work environment be flexible to address not only multiple uses, but also a variety of worker preferences as they move from place to place within in your facility. It’s also necessary that your environment support current and future technologies.

Flexible Workplace and Furniture - Flexibility is needed to support the multitude of learning activities that can take place – from formal lecture and video presentations to group projects to individual work to informal discussion sessions to group presentations. Additionally, training furniture may also have to “double” as everyday business furniture and vice versa – it needs to be adaptable for this multi-purpose requirement.

Interchangeable and Engaging Spaces - Your training environment will be used by a variety of learners. Furniture and space must be quickly adjustable to support personalized and group needs for all types of learners. For example, Cisco’s McCarthy Ranch campus in Milpitas, California has gone the way of the hybrid workplace. Hundreds of mobile workers who use the campus have access to eight different kinds of unassigned workspaces: workstations, touchdown spaces, privacy rooms, focus booths, open project spaces, team rooms, lounges and dens. The spaces support many different kinds of virtual collaboration using IP technology and audio and video conferencing.

Tech-ready Rooms - Make sure office space is well-equipped with flexible cabling and power sources, as well as equipment that fosters collaborative learning: hi resolution video, interactive white boards, recording capabilities (for later training video posting), and video conferencing capabilities.

Efficient Use of Space - As employees become more mobile and less tied to their desks, the average amount of space per employee nationwide, in all industries, has dropped to 250 square feet from 400 square feet in 1985. Within 10 years, that is expected to drop further, to 150 square feet.

Voi’s® privacy screens, storage solutions, and power/data accessories bring greater functionality to collaborative areas.

“ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH COMPANY IDC, THERE WILL BE AROUND 1.3 BILLION MOBILE WORKERS BY 2015. THEY WILL MAKE UP 37 PERCENT OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE, THOUGH THIS PERCENTAGE WILL DIFFER BY COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE WORKFORCE AND THE LEVEL OF IT DEVELOPMENT.”

Your training efforts should include key technologies that enable and support learning initiatives. They should also be supported with infrastructure that lets learners access information inside and outside of traditional training venues.

Learning Management Systems - Online applications that enable companies to store, administer and deliver content for web based training programs and events. These systems should support a self-service model, so they must be readily available and easy to use.

Video - Including YouTube access and production of internal training videos for employees and customers. Use of video conferencing tools such as Skype, GoToMeeting or WebEx to foster information flow and collaboration.

Social Media - Employees should be able to connect with each other using tools such as Facebook and Twitter, but also enterprise applications such as Salesforce.com’s “Chatter,” Microsoft’s “Yammer” and Windows Live Messenger.

“AS EMPLOYEES BECOME MORE MOBILE AND LESS TIED TO THEIR DESKS, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF SPACE PER EMPLOYEE NATIONWIDE, HAS DROPPED TO 250 SQUARE FEET FROM 400 SQUARE FEET IN 1985. WITHIN 10 YEARS, THAT IS EXPECTED TO DROP FURTHER, TO 150 SQUARE FEET.”

Implementing policies and practices like these will ensure that your work environment effectively accommodates new shifts in learning. As new learning styles are discovered and evolve within formal education, they will migrate down to affect the workplace. You can harness these advancements to enhance the productivity of your training and work environments.