Looking to boost employee engagement?
Today’s workers are not just looking for a job – they want career growth opportunities.
48% of American workers would switch to a new job if offered skills training.
48% of American workers would switch to a new job if offered skills training.
Source: The American Upskilling Study by Gallup
But many talent development programs fail to meet the needs of all workers.
Take tuition reimbursement, for example.
Tuition reimbursement can’t create opportunity if your frontline workforce can’t afford to pay upfront or go into debt to access it.
But here's the exciting news.
Some organizations are catching on to the limitations of these early models and finding new – and more equitable – ways to engage employees.
Employers are boosting employee engagement by investing in strategic education, skills, and career mobility for all workers – and aligning those programs with their larger workforce planning goals.
Employers are boosting employee engagement by investing in strategic education, skills, and career mobility for all workers – and aligning those programs with their larger workforce planning goals.
In this article, we will identify three unique programs that help motivate and engage employees in their ongoing education, ultimately creating a culture of opportunity in your workforce.
1. Speed up learning by offering “credit for experience,” boosting worker confidence.
Many employees have a wealth of learning and experience — whether that’s from the countless hours of job training they receive or from their work history generally.
The bad news? Those experiences just haven’t been translated into academic credit.
As the popularity of education benefits programs increase among employees, learning providers are more open to new ways to meet the needs of these new learners.
One way they are doing this is by recognizing corporate training or work experience as credit toward a degree or stackable credential.
Credit for experience has become a way for companies and universities to work together to validate on-the-job learning and experience while accelerating skills acquisition.
Credit for experience has become a way for companies and universities to work together to validate on-the-job learning and experience while accelerating skills acquisition.
Bottom line? Categorizing and counting this learning toward an employees’ degree can help:
- Save employees valuable time completing their education
- Get employees closer to new roles faster
- *Bonus* Save valuable cost on education for the company by avoiding redundant coursework
Expert tip: Learners are more likely to complete their education with credit for experience
This kind of thoughtful, intentional approach to learning helps foster a culture of opportunity.
Trimming 12 to 15 hours off a credentialed program through “credit for experience” can save a learner one to two semesters of classes.
It also boosts worker confidence to know that they’ve already completed some of the work required for a degree.
When learners enter college with existing credits, they are more likely to complete their education.
This is especially true for underrepresented populations. For example, Guild research has found that credit for experience is proven to boost Hispanic adults’ degree completion by 24% and Black adults by 14%.
Guild research has found that credit for experience is proven to boost Hispanic adults’ degree completion by 24% and Black adults by 14%.
2. Stackable learning motivates employees on their opportunity journey.
Stackable learning refers to the practice of offering education options that build on each other over time.
This enables value in the short term while “stacking” to the economic value of a full degree or other pedigree in the long term.
Here's an example.
Imagine a frontline employee in a call center who wants to move into data analytics to increase their earning potential, and they sign up for a data analysis bootcamp or certificate.
If designed correctly, this bootcamp can then count as credit toward a bachelor’s degree at another institution, giving employees an instant boost in the short-term and long-term goals to work toward.
Stackable learning is the practice of offering education options that build on each other over time.
There are also “College Start” programs that help learners transition into higher education.
These can lay the academic foundation for success while providing credits that count toward a degree.
As with credit for experience programs, stackability can:
- Boost learner confidence
- Get employees thinking about pursuing long-term education with you as their employer
- Support a culture of opportunity through a focus on lifelong learning
Imagine how powerful it can be for a learner to start a degree program and walk through the door with the equivalent of one to two semesters of experience already complete.
Expert tip: Consider short-form options to mobilize employees faster
While there’s still economic value to a full college degree, there are alternative ways to build skills and enable valuable learning experiences.
Take short-form learning as an example.
In addition to foundational learning and degrees, businesses should consider:
- Skills-based, short-form learning
- Certificates
- Career diplomas
- Bootcamps
- And beyond
These formats can help workers upskill or reskill in the short-term, while helping them build even more skills over time.
3. Provide individualized education and career coaching to engage and motivate workers.
Going back to school or pursuing new skills as a working adult can be challenging.
Most employees have been out of school for many years, and many frontline workers either:
- Carry previous student loan debt
- Are navigating college as a first-generation student
- Or both
Offering opportunity through education won’t be enough for some employees — they need additional support.
As individuals juggle work, family life, and school, they face a number of logistical and psychological challenges.
This is why dedicated employee coaching can be so impactful to creating and maintaining a sense of opportunity.
Coaches can provide a full spectrum of support
In the initial stages, a coach’s job might involve:
- Helping employees compare and contrast career paths at your company
- Identify the right learning programs to get them to their next role
- Build a personalized pathway to get there
Once employees are enrolled in a program, a coach can help them stay motivated and overcome any obstacles they might encounter while balancing work and school.
They can also provide support as workers transition to a new job. For more information, check out Guild's enhanced coaching solution.
Intentional education design is key to a culture of opportunity
The three elements we’ve covered here:
- Credit for experience
- Stackability
- Coaching
...will ensure your talent development programs meet your employees where they are today and help you create a culture of opportunity for tomorrow.
There’s no better way to show your people that you’re investing in their future. To see how other employers are doing this, check out our guide to creating career mobility for your entire workforce.
