Learning and Development Outlook 2011: Are Organizations Ready for Learning 2.0?

Canada’s capacity for innovation is decreasing, and one of the key drivers for this decline might be the relative lack of priority placed on learning and development (L&D) within Canadian organizations. The Learning and Development Outlook 2011—the most recent edition of The Conference Board of Canada’s bi-annual survey of Canadian organizations on their approaches to learning and development—shows that many Canadian organizations are struggling to prioritize learning.

The downward trend in prioritization is not universal, as those with strong learning cultures are spending more and providing more learning resources and more diverse learning opportunities than are those with weak or moderate learning cultures. This trend indicates that a strong learning culture is a key driver for embracing a new approach to developing employees—Learning 2.0—that sees learning as a process involving learners as opposed to a product created for learners.