The use of Internet technology exploded during my college years in the late 1990's. Years later, I have become very comfortable with Googling, using various e-mail accounts and interrupting work to immediately respond to an instant message that pops up on my screen. The next generation is more savvy than that, exchanging information, both business-related and social, through social networking sites, all during the business day.
What does this mean for the training industry? It means that traditional training should be tailored for this multi-tasking, easily bored group of fast-pace learners, many of whom learned to point and click on their families' computers before they entered Kindergarten.
Traditional learning techniques, such as lecture, are still successful, but the instructor must now be part entertainer to keep the audience enthused. In many cases rote learning went the way of the abacus. Considering that kids and young adults learn new skills via video games, podcasting, computer-based training and more, it creates a challenge for those training this generation for the workforce, according to a recent Training magazine article, “Generational Series, Part 3: Biz Kid.” Tapping into an attention-grabbing resource, such as the gaming environment, or holding conferences through MySpace or Facebook, where young adults spend a lot of time anyway, could be two ways to keep interest and help this generation focus on what's important – learning – and preparing themselves for the workforce where they can use these skills to help a company take its products and services to the next level.
As the face of the workforce changes, it will be a challenge for trainers, and the companies who hire this next generation, to find out what motivates them to learn in order to get the best work out of them. Trainers are just a few clicks away from success.
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