BLOG5 Learning & Development Trends for 2024
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Many exciting developments took hold in 2023 in the field of learning and development, and even more innovation is on the horizon. In this article, let’s explore some trends that we expect are going to change the landscape of L&D for the better.
Over the first weeks of 2024, we’ll be speaking to experts in each of these areas. Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up on these deep dives.
Until then, let’s scrape the surface of five L&D sectors set to get an upgrade in the coming months.
1. Accessibility & Inclusion focus
The move toward inclusive leadership has become a necessity for businesses across the country. After years of casual acceptance and haphazard integration, the last year or so has seen cultural competency finally being recognized as a non-negotiable for executives and team members alike.
Not only are programs for instilling accessibility and inclusion comprehension essential but so, too, are the correct approaches to the development and dissemination of these programs. These courses must go beyond the superficial tenets of acceptance, which means they need to call upon the expertise of subject matter experts in various disciplines in order to build optimal learner experiences.
In 2024, more organizations will begin to champion the teaching of these practices, leaving those who have yet to do so scrambling to catch up.
The strategic ROI: The impact on employee well-being should be more than enough reason to centre inclusivity in the workplace, but the benefits go even further. Studies show that retention and recruiting rise in tandem with the dissemination of DEI&B education.
2. Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is the sense that risk-taking and vulnerability in the workplace will be supported and embraced.
A willingness to take risks at work goes beyond speaking up in meetings. It also includes pursuing learning opportunities in the many forms they may take within the office milieu. A generally supportive workplace is a great step toward solidifying these attributes, but specific training in the areas of raising awareness, interpersonal skill development, and feedback culture are equally important.
In the coming year, organizations that do not implement these programs will continue to stand in stark judgment, backlit by those that do.
The strategic ROI: Companies that foster psychological safety in their teams notice improved employee engagement, satisfaction, and innovation.

3. Accessibility
The focus on DEI&B in the workplace, as well as ongoing technological advancement, has not surprisingly brought accessibility to the forefront, as well. In the simplest terms, every organization should be constantly seeking ways to improve accessibility to ensure that any current and future employees with disabilities get as much benefit from the training as those without.
Inequitable learning experiences stem from employee education programs that fail to take into account visual, auditory, psychological, or physiological differences, among many others. Due to growing awareness of this issue, more and more sectors are requiring companies to meet certain thresholds for both digital and in-person training programs.
In 2024, the call for features like closed captioning and widely accessible activities in courses, as well as the timely evaluation of these programs to ensure their ongoing improvement, will only become more adamant.
The strategic ROI: In addition to the benefits of social responsibility on employee satisfaction (which, again, show themselves in retention and recruitment), accessibility training reduces litigation risks and improves operational efficiency.
4. Social Learning
Skill development is a primary goal of workplace training, for employers and employees alike, and social learning can have a significant impact on the success of learning and development programs.
The most successful strategies include mentorship programs, promoting informal and microlearning opportunities, and making use of the related features available in most learning management systems, such as newsfeeds and live chats. Supplying spaces where employees can hone their collaborative problem-solving skills through observation, imitation, and co-worker feedback has many valuable benefits.
The strategic ROI: Collaboration breeds innovation, and as remote work continues to take hold, establishing thoughtful ways for employees to continue benefiting from social interaction will become essential.
5. Incorporating AI
It should come as no surprise that AI features on this list of 2024 trends! From assisting gamification to improving the personalization of programs, technologies driven by artificial intelligence are sure to show up on every LMS next year, and making use of them will benefit businesses and employees in numerous ways.
Expect enhanced assistance when building simulated environments for training and further automation when reviewing the performance of existing programs. Properly implemented, AI will also be able to help educators identify skill gaps more efficiently, resulting in more effective courses.
The strategic ROI: Utilizing AI to run the analytics of L&D program performance will save time and money. Automatic assessments that offer additional segments based on everyone’s skill gaps will enhance employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
It’s clear that the field of learning and development is well set up to flourish in 2024. In the first few months, we will be speaking to experts in each of the above areas, so be sure to check in to hear more about how these trends can make a positive impact within your team and throughout your organization.
Sources
https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2022/05/10/building-a-culture-of-deib-with-ld/
https://www.etu.co/resources/how-to-develop-psychological-safety-in-the-workplace
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/organizational-and-employee-development/pages/accessible-learning-design-reaching-all-learners-where-they-are.aspx
https://www.togetherplatform.com/blog/social-learning-at-work