Sarah Parks , Marketing and Communication Director at CNet Training , discusses the types of learning approaches organisations can create and offer their employees , as COVID-19 has forced us to rethink our priorities in the workplace .

attending events , meetings and educational programs via remote attendance , hot-desking and flexible working was already increasing , with more and more major organisations choosing co-working spaces or encouraging flexible and remote working . Yet , the global pandemic has propelled many organisations across the globe to transform what their workplace will look like in the future . Predictions suggest that most organisations will never go back to 100 % of staff being in the workplace five days a week . This poses the real question of what to do with the traditional workspace environment .

There is now a real opportunity for organisations to re-envision and reposition their workspaces and head offices . It is not uncommon for organisations to create well-being and breakout areas , exercise spaces and reading rooms within their workspaces for all their employees to take advantage of during their workday . So , why not also create dedicated learning zones ?

These could consist of one , or a series of , private formal and informal learning zones that allow for a variety of learning , professional development activities , and work towards the upskilling of teams . Learning zones could be created specifically to each organisation ’ s needs , with one or more smart areas for single or multiple occupancy which can allow for individuals to undertake self-paced distance learning as well as small group collaborations where colleagues can work together and share ideas . Teams attending live instructor-led education programs via remote attendance will have a learning zone to utilise and engage with other learners from the same organisation as they learn / work together , collaborate and share ideas , as well as learning and collaborating with others attending remotely from other organisations . Also , with many remote learning programs being available in different time zones across the globe , there are opportunities to use the space and change working patterns to meet other like-minded professionals globally or unite global teams from the same organisations , creating real collaborative learning opportunities .

Mission-critical employees including data centre professionals are key workers and therefore still have to travel to work during the pandemic , although organisations have been working to minimise risk by keeping non-essential staff at home , creating staff bubble rotas and looking to utilise a remote system where possible . As the digital infrastructure industry looks at how it is working and what is and isn ’ t possible remotely , it is the perfect time for the digital infrastructure industry to create a learning space for their mission-critical teams to give them a dedicated space to devote to learning during , before and after their shifts and on nightshifts , where possible .

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