TORONTO, April 22, 2015 /CNW/ - Canadian companies must
act to take greater advantage of new technologies to deliver better
workplace education and training, and to drive competitiveness and
productivity, according to a new report by Accenture in
collaboration with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives
(CCCE).
Increasing the Return on Talent Development for Canadian
Companies was developed as part of a multi-year CCCE initiative on
jobs and skills for the 21st century which, in part, encourages
Canadian employers to prioritize workplace learning and development
to drive competitiveness.
"This report is a call to action for Canadian companies to
strive for better outcomes when training employees, and underscores
the critical importance of spending training dollars wisely," said
Danielle Francis, Human Capital lead
for Financial Services at Accenture in Canada.
The report calls on more employers to consider the advantages of
innovative "smart learning systems" that provide access to
knowledge, anytime and anywhere. Often, these methods are more
effective than classroom-based training while also costing less on
a per-employee basis.
The report found that Canadian firms are at different levels of
maturity when it comes to talent development capabilities. Some
companies rely on traditional and relatively costly classroom-based
instruction, while others are deploying advanced learning
strategies that involve a combination of in-person and
technology-based training.
"The payoff for these more advanced strategies is improved
talent development capabilities and a greater return on
investment and stronger workforce performance, which in turn
generates higher levels of innovation and productivity in
Canada," said Francis. "In the
end, it's not only about how much you spend on training, but what
you get from that investment."
In addition to online courses, examples of innovative workplace
learning and development systems include: mobile technologies that
permit access to information through smartphones and tablets;
social media platforms that offer peer and self-help support; and
"micro learning" systems that provide employees with concise
explanations and just-in-time instruction instead of requiring them
to take a full-blown course.
The report was based in part on interviews with a range of CCCE
member companies that have adopted innovative workplace learning
technologies and approaches. They include Bell, BHP Billiton, CIBC,
Enbridge, Loblaw, National Bank, Suncor, TD Bank, TELUS and RBC, as
well as Accenture itself.
"When it comes to training and development, and building talent,
there is no shortage of investment in Canada," said Neil
Hunter, director of Learning and Capability at Suncor. "The
key is to sustain these great investments and ideas over a longer
period of time, and to sustain the skill sets within Canadian
organizations, to help ensure competitiveness and high productivity
for generations to come."
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management
consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more
than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.
Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities
across all industries and business functions, and extensive
research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture
collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance
businesses and governments. Accenture has been recognized as one of
Canada's Top 100 Employers since
2011, and one of Canada's Best
Diversity Employers since 2013. The company generated net revenues
of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal
year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home
page is www.accenture.com
About CCCE
The Canadian Council of Chief Executives is
the senior voice of Canadian business, representing 150 chief
executives and leading entrepreneurs in all sectors and regions of
the country. Its member companies collectively employ 1.5 million
Canadians and are responsible for most of Canada's private sector investments, exports,
workplace training and research and development.
SOURCE Accenture