Tech Learning: Key Areas for Continuous Learning Initiatives

Tech learning is a continuous process due to the rapid advancement of technology. Professionals who engage in tech learning stay updated with the latest trends, improve their skills, and enhance their career prospects. Businesses can offer tech learning as part of training and development initiatives. Doing so not only upskills employees but can also improve morale and motivation. 

With so many technological areas to pursue, your organization might want to focus its tech learning offerings. Read on to find out more about tech learning, why it is essential, and understand some prime areas of study that you can implement into your learning and development program.

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What is tech learning?

Tech learning generally refers to the process of acquiring knowledge and skills related to technology. It can occur through traditional classroom education, online courses, coding bootcamps, tutorials, and self-guided exploration.

Offering tech learning can help businesses prepare individuals for various opportunities, including career advancement and creative projects while developing their problem-solving skills in a wide range of industries. 

It's important to customize tech learning offerings to the individual learner’s interests, goals, and skill level. 

Read more: Technology Skills: What They Are and How to Improve Them

Importance of tech learning

Continuous tech learning can open doors to opportunities, projects, and roles by enabling professionals to broaden their expertise and take on more challenging tasks. For the organization, it makes sense to offer learning and development to prepare employees for new responsibilities and fill talent gaps within the business. 

Tech learning, specifically, is crucial across various industries for several reasons. With technology evolving rapidly, keeping up with the latest trends, tools, and techniques ensures that your organization remains relevant and competitive. Industries are constantly disrupted by technological advancements, but tech learning equips employees with the ability to adapt to change and navigate transitions more effectively.

As many industries undergo digital transformation, professionals well-versed in technology can contribute to innovation by leveraging emerging technologies to create novel products, services, or processes.

Additionally, tech learning often equips professionals with problem-solving skills. This gives your organization a team of people who can identify innovative solutions and make data-driven decisions using technological tools. Understanding technology also allows your teams to streamline processes, automate repetitive tasks, and increase efficiency, which can lead to higher productivity.

An employee participating in tech learning also sees individual benefits:

• Proficiency in new technologies often leads to promotions, salary increases, and better job prospects. 

• Professionals with diverse tech skills can work effectively with colleagues from various backgrounds.

• Tech skills enable professionals to collaborate, communicate effectively, and complete tasks in a digital environment.

• Tech learning helps professionals work with data, extract insights, and make informed decisions, contributing to business growth.

• Professionals who can adapt to emerging technologies are less likely to become obsolete in their roles.

With the individual employee seeing these advantages of tech learning, offering these opportunities can also help your employee engagement, recruiting, and retention. Having demonstrated an investment in your employees' professional development, you can see enhanced job satisfaction and reduced turnover.

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Who uses tech learning?

Tech learning is a strategic investment in employees for organizations across industries. Offering development opportunities in this area can equip individuals with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in a tech-driven world. This can also support their willingness to embrace new challenges and readiness to contribute meaningfully to the organization.

Pros and cons of tech learning

Offering professional growth and development in technological areas can offer both advantages and disadvantages. Weigh both before promoting this training focus.

Advantages 

Tech learning allows individuals to acquire valuable skills that are relevant in today's tech-driven world. Additionally, acquiring tech skills can:

• Encourage innovative thinking

• Empower individuals to develop creative solutions using technology

• Boost employee confidence

• Help individuals adapt to rapidly changing technological landscapes 

• Enable employees to connect with people and information from around the world

• Equip individuals to make informed decisions based on data analysis

• Counter employee turnover

Drawbacks

While the benefits can be substantial, be mindful of the potential drawbacks before providing tech learning. Anticipating the following challenges can support a more successful training program:

• Learning new tech skills can be time-consuming, taking away from other commitments

• Tech learning can involve a steep learning curve, which can frustrate beginners

• The tech industry evolves quickly, requiring continuous learning to keep up

• Not all tech skills may be relevant to an individual's career or goals

• Making employees reliant on technology can reduce critical thinking skills and creativity

Key areas of tech learning

Whether your employees are beginners exploring the basics or experienced professionals looking to stay ahead, tech learning offers a dynamic path for growth in the digital age. Tech learning can encompass a wide range of subjects and disciplines. This section explores some of the key areas that can help an organization grow, innovate, and adapt.

Programming and coding

According to Steve Jobs, “Everyone in this country should learn how to program because it teaches you how to think” [1]. With that in mind, you might encourage employees to learn languages like JavaScript, Python, C++, and others to create software applications, websites, and more.

Data science

Utilizing data analysis, statistics, and machine learning to extract insights and make predictions from data can empower every employee in this data-driven world. The greater the employee facility with data science, the more productivity, decision-making, and overall performance can benefit.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

Explore algorithms that enable computers to learn and make decisions from data. This training can help managers understand AI and its use cases to introduce fresh digital ideas to your business. 

Cybersecurity

Share techniques to protect computer systems, networks, and data from cyber threats and being exposed to ethical hacking—which helps identify and address vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks. Training in this area can help make your business safer online and reduce human errors that lead to breaches or other downtimes. 

Cloud computing

Focus on understanding how to use and manage resources on remote servers accessed through the internet. This would typically include the major cloud platforms: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud. 

Blockchain technology

Explain the decentralized and secure nature of blockchain. Since it has applications in cryptocurrency, supply chain management, HR processes, and more, educating your organization about this tech could support business efficiency efforts.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

AR and VR have many applications outside of entertainment. By providing courses on the possible applications of this technology, you might transform your business training, problem-solving, and collaboration.

IoT (Internet of Things)

Learning about connecting everyday objects to the internet and analyzing data from them may drive innovation. Your people could come up with new product offerings or fresh ways to employ the data from these devices.

UI/UX design

Focus on creating user-friendly websites and applications. By exposing employees to design thinking that is user-centric rather than solution-centric, you could help them reimagine interactions with your customers.  

Digital marketing

Discuss the online channels used to promote products and services, including social media, SEO, content marketing, and more. How your business reaches its leads and loyal customers constantly changes; helping your employees have a foundation in digital marketing can help you reach your audience where they are and how they want.

Getting started with Coursera

Learning is a lifelong journey. Professionals who embrace tech learning are more likely to adopt a growth mindset and consistently seek self-improvement. Your organization may want to offer its own training.

In that case, your subject matter experts might want to enroll in Learning to Teach Online or learn the Foundations of Online Teaching on Coursera. Otherwise, offer your organization access to our extensive library of courses, certifications, and more that can enhance their tech learning with Coursera for Business.