AUTUMN 2025 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 44
SKILLS & TRAINING
How experiential learning
is defining a new era in
Government learning
Lawrie Day, CEO at Cognitas Global
Today’s public sector
organisations face
unprecedented challenges in
training and development.
Despite real world risks such
as cyber breaches greater than
ever before, the UK Government
and public sector departments
are under pressure to achieve
more with less in terms of
training their people, stretching
limited budgets whilst still
delivering quality training.
Government, public sector and,
in particular, L&D leaders, need
to upskill and reskill workers in
order to tackle critical challenges
- from digital transformation to
leadership development.
In embracing new immersive
approaches to train more people,
government organisations can
save time, reduce expenses,
improve worker productivity and
satisfaction, whilst meeting their
compliance and capacity needs.
Why public sector L&D
leaders must improve their
training delivery
The world is more unpredictable
than ever for government and
public sector organisations
today. Cyberattacks on national
infrastructure, sudden supply
chain problems, threats to space
and maritime assets, healthcare
systems that are pushed to their
limits, and regulatory scrutiny
that is getting stricter all the
time - there has never been more
pressure to be ready.
Organisations face a critical
skills shortage requiring rapid and
effective upskilling and retraining
of their workforces. Remote
and hybrid work models are
becoming permanent 昀椀xtures. It’s
no surprise that time consuming
traditional training methods are
increasingly seen as ineffective,
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with workers disengaged.
Coupled with standard online
training tools leading to poor
attention, limited retention, and
reduced application of learning,
training is neither time nor cost
ef昀椀cient.
The limitations of Learning
Management Systems (LMS)
Whilst there is a place for
Learning Management Systems
(LMS) - they are great for sending
out information and keeping track
of compliance, making sure that
everyone 昀椀nishes the required
training modules – they have
serious limitations when it comes
to situations where real-world
decisions can mean life or death.
Organisations have a hard
time connecting LMS use to
real-world results, lower risk,
higher productivity, or higher
value. People are rarely tested
on how well they work together,
prioritise, and handle stress in
high-stakes situations.
In the public sector, 昀椀nishing
an online module isn’t enough to
say that someone is “ready” for
real world situations. Immersive
training 昀椀lls this important gap by
giving experiences, behavioural
insights, and hands-on learning
that an LMS alone simply can’t.
How an immersive learning
platform transforms training
Advances in cloud technology
and immersive platforms have
made it much easier to do
realistic training by enabling
people to train alongside their
jobs. This way, it’s business as
usual providing critical services
while also learning important
skills.
Public sector teams can run
crisis simulations right in the
places where they work with
the right people. They can
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bring together learners from
multiple locations in collaborative
virtual environments that foster
engagement and peer learning.
Training is adaptable, frequent,
and team leaders can design
tailored immersive learning
scenarios that address their
speci昀椀c organisational challenges
and objectives. In addition, expert
facilitation guides participants
through scenarios that build
practical skills and knowledge
retention. People retain up
to 75% of what they learn
through immersive experiences,
compared to just 10–20% with
standard slide presentations.
Most importantly, the platform
can reduce training costs by up
to 60% and decrease training
time while improving outcomes.
With advanced analytics that
capture data this can create
bespoke skills gap analysis
and demonstrate its value
for future training investment
decisions. This means that
those who embrace innovative
learning solutions stand to
gain a signi昀椀cant competitive
advantage.
The public sector needs to
embrace technology to grow
In today’s world, organisations
must show that their teams
are skilled and ready, even
when under the most pressure.
Learning must be based on
the real problems teams face,
with performance clear and
measurable, and improvement
constant.
With a blend of the right
people and technology, public
sector organisations can
con昀椀dently face the problems of
today and tomorrow. Experiential
learning gives public sector
organisations the power to:
• Build and measure operational
capabilities with con昀椀dence
• Strengthen collaboration
across agencies and teams
• Provide clear assurance to
ministers, boards, and
regulators
• Protect the people and
services society depends on
every day
In addition, AI functionality
within the platform now provides
real time analysis providing
greater insight and enabling the
analysis and reporting of learning
to be achieved within hours and
not weeks.
De昀椀ning a new era in
Government learning
It’s important for L&D leaders
to undertake a full assessment
of speci昀椀c training needs to
enable them to scale training
investments effectively. With
the right platform, teams can
develop tailored immersive
learning scenarios that address
their speci昀椀c organisational
challenges and objectives.
Advanced analytics can deliver
bespoke skills gap analysis
and demonstrate return on
investment.
Forward thinking organisations
aren’t choosing between
digital and in-person training;
they use both. While digital,
cloud-based simulations make
sure that people regularly and
without interruption build their
skills, live crisis workshops build
trust, leadership, and a shared
understanding of the situation.
This mixed approach makes
readiness more than just a yearly
task; it becomes a strength that
grows to counter the changing
risks of the future.
