SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pluralsight, the global leader in online learning for technology professionals, unveiled eight ways that online learning pays back, featuring findings from a survey conducted by best practice insights and technology firm CEB, Inc. The study, which surveyed nearly 2,000 Pluralsight subscribers, identified that online learning is more effective than in-class training, providing measurable benefits to enterprises and their technical staff.
While online learning has seen early adoption from individuals seeking to broaden their professional horizon, enterprises are quickly recognizing the paybacks of online learning. “If I see a future need today, I don’t have to hire a new person who’s an expert at something to fill that need,” said Adam Kavan, Associate Director of Networks and Systems for Professional Research Consultants. “Instead, I can train up one of my existing people because Pluralsight has the courses to fill those skills gaps.”
According to the CEB study, online learning has become the preferred alternative to traditional classroom training. For those working in technology, online learning provides an in-demand and more cost effective way to upskill.
The ways that online learning pays back include:
- Online learning allows more time for work. With courses available 24 hours a day on any web-enabled device, online learning allows tech pros to develop new skills and hone old ones without wasting time searching the internet for answers. Pluralsight users reported increased efficiency throughout the work day and 88 percent said they continue to utilize online learning after work hours.
- Online training provides a jump on the future. Pluralsight publishes 80 to 90 new, expert-authored courses a month to help tech pros keep up with the fast pace in a rapidly changing industry. According to the CEB study, 90 percent of respondents gained new skills needed for their existing role through on-demand online learning.
- Employees actually use the courses. Online learning platforms like Pluralsight provide a wide variety of courses that allow individuals to skill up across a variety of tech disciplines. According to CEB, 55 percent of respondents were able to apply what they learned through Pluralsight within one week.
- Online is more effective than a classroom. When tech pros are stuck on a project or problem, online learning eliminates the need for an individual to wait for the next classroom-based training session before moving to the next course. Eighty-eight percent of survey respondents said that on-demand training is more beneficial than the classroom.
- Online classes address needs - lots of needs. Online training can quickly and efficiently deliver niche courses that may not be available through a brick-and-mortar classroom or on a cadence that is beneficial to the learner. At Pluralsight, course offerings are driven by demand, enabling tech professionals to learn the latest and most needed skills in their industry.
- Online learning improves employee retention. On-demand access to learning opens opportunities for employees to use new skills and take on more responsibility. It also affirms an employer’s commitment to helping upskill their existing workforce rather than outsourcing or making new hires. Eighty-five percent of CEB’s survey respondents reported a strong link between the online learning investment their company is willing to make and their loyalty to the organization.
- Online training is more affordable than hiring new. The cost of hiring new is 90 to 200 percent of an employee’s annual salary. Downtime associated with hiring also extends to teams involved in the hiring process and teams dependent upon a vacant position. Skilling up existing employees can remove the need to hire and eliminate these costs.
- ROI of online learning is high and measurable. Online training saves time because it helps employees to be more productive. Pluralsight’s online platform is custom designed to meet the needs of each individual user. According to the CEB study, 84 hours per year are saved per learner as a result of just one hour of training per week.
For more information about Pluralsight and its collection of courses, visit pluralsight.com.
About Pluralsight
Founded in 2004, Pluralsight is the global leader in online learning for professional software developers, IT specialists and creative technologists. As the world’s largest curated professional development platform for technology disciplines, Pluralsight offers instant access to more than 4,700 courses authored by nearly 1,000 top experts. With individual and enterprise customers in more than 150 countries, Pluralsight serves as a career catalyst, delivering hands-on, practical training for the most in-demand and understaffed jobs of today. For more information, visit pluralsight.com.
