Hold onto Your Hats!

January 14, 2022

If you work in the training profession, hold onto your hats! The winds are blowing in your favor in 2022. As the world comes off the COVID lockdowns, the return to work is going to bring with it many changes that are going to keep training departments and training providers busy. Here are our predictions for the biggest drivers for training in 2022:

  1. Hybrid bridges the gaps: Companies are facing a confluence of events that are forcing them to rethink policies about coming into the office: Full-time, white-collar employees have discovered the flexibility that work-from-home brings. Organizations have experienced cost savings. Variants like Omicron and Delta remind us that COVID is here to stay for a while. Organizations are turning to hybrid work arrangements to return to the office safely. Hybrid work requires new policies, from performance evaluations to vacation days. Additionally, leaders at all levels need to continue improving their communications and management skills for the remote environment. Training professionals are going to be in similarly high demand to explain the policies and teach how to work effectively in this new environment.
  2. Blue-collar service jobs shift: Non-touch shopping and payment options have blossomed in the wake of the pandemic. Businesses are not going to be in any hurry to add payroll costs to go back to having people do jobs that customers are willing to do for themselves. On the other hand, people are still willing to pay others to do work that they do not want to do. Look for a decrease in cashiers, fast food staff, and other low-wage service jobs. Waitstaff, truck drivers, and tradespeople are going to be in high demand. Job re-training programs are going to see a spike in enrollment as people shift to different types of jobs.
  3. Entrepreneurship flourishes: The pandemic forced many people to become more creative about income sources as it took away their jobs. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 4.4 million new businesses opened during 2020, the highest year-over-year increase ever!  Combine the joys of working for oneself with the benefits of working from home, and many formerly employed people are going to stick with working for themselves. Look for continued growth in new small businesses in the next year or two. All those budding entrepreneurs are going to have questions, and training professionals can help prepare them for their new road ahead.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash


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