Going Online Post COVID-19: Musings from the Training Industry

Abstract

While most businesses around the world have either postponed or canceled face-to-face meetings due to COVID-19, workplace learning was seen as one of the earliest activities severely affected, i.e. the switch to online learning models. The current study has been conducted with the aim of discussing the challenges faced by the training industry in regard to offering full online learning. The three main topics covered in this study are the level of readiness among training industry providers in Malaysia, the effectiveness of the training sessions, and the financial impacts of online training. In terms of readiness for online learning and training, the authors believe that internet connectivity in the country is at a satisfactory level to enable such an approach; however, a digital divide still exists. From the aspect of effectiveness, trainers still require time to study the market in order to get the best online learning solution, i.e. to determine the appropriate approach in attracting the attention of learners. In terms of the financial impacts, an investment towards online learning is quite expensive because it requires a variety of new equipment whether software or hardware. This raises a concern for industry players because once COVID-19 subsides, these training sessions may return to the face-to-face method. Based on the study findings, it can be concluded that not all parties can easily switch to online learning. Therefore, the blended learning method is seen as more suitable to be implemented where the face-to-face method is combined with an online learning approach.