When I started my career in the mid-1990s, learning a new computer program at work meant being sent for training.
That usually involved leaving the office, going to another company or training facility, and spending anywhere from a full day to several days learning a system step by step. There was an instructor in the room. There were other learners. You could raise your hand when you got stuck. You could watch someone else struggle with the same thing you were struggling with. And you weren’t expected to “fit learning in” between meetings; you were given time and space to actually learn.
Today, that model has largely disappeared. Companies have shifted toward online learning platforms, self-paced courses, short videos, and on-demand tutorials. Now, organizations assign modules and assume employees will complete them when they have time.
On paper, this shift makes sense. But I’m not convinced we’ve fully acknowledged what we lost in the process.
The Shift Toward Efficiency
There are clear reasons companies moved away from in-person training:
- It’s cheaper (no travel, no instructors on-site, no facilities)
- It’s scalable (one course can reach thousands of employees)
- It’s flexible (people can learn “anytime”)
- It’s fast to deploy and update
Modern workplaces often rely on platforms like LinkedIn Learning or YouTube tutorials for just-in-time skill building. We have even created online courses in order to address the professional development needs of the social service sector. If someone needs to learn a feature or troubleshoot a problem, the expectation is simple: look it up and figure it out.
This model works well in certain contexts, especially for people who are already comfortable navigating digital tools and learning independently. But that assumption, that everyone learns effectively this way, is where problems begin.
What We Lost in the Transition
In-person training wasn’t perfect, but it had structural advantages that are hard to replicate online.
- Real-time support: When someone got stuck, help was immediate. You didn’t have to interpret a video or search through forums. You could just ask.
- Shared learning: Watching others struggle, and recover, was part of the learning process. It normalized confusion and reduced anxiety.
- Protected time to learn: Training wasn’t something squeezed between emails and meetings. It was the work.
- Confidence building: For many adults, especially those less comfortable with technology, simply being in a supported environment made it easier to take risks and ask questions.
These elements created a learning experience that was not just informational, but psychological. It helped people believe they could learn new systems.
The Hidden Gap in Today’s Learning Models
Online learning assumes a level of independence that many adult learners don’t actually have, especially when it comes to digital skills.
Without support, learners often:
- Quit partway through modules
- Avoid asking for help
- Miss foundational concepts
- Struggle silently until frustration builds
This isn’t a motivation problem, it’s a design problem. We built systems that are efficient for organizations but not always effective for learners who need structure, encouragement, and hands-on practice. Over time, that gap shows up in the workforce: people who are expected to use digital tools but were never truly supported in learning how.
Not All Online Learning Is Bad
It’s important to be clear: online learning is not the enemy. It works very well when learners already have baseline digital confidence, the task is narrow and specific and there is some form of human support layered in. The problem isn’t digital learning itself, it’s the assumption that it can fully replace guided, structured instruction for everyone.
Rebuilding Effective Training for the Modern Workforce
The real opportunity isn’t to go back to the 1990s model of training. That wouldn’t be realistic or scalable today. Instead, we need to intentionally rebuild what made that model effective while embracing the tools we now have.
That means designing training that includes:
- Structured learning time, not just “when you can get to it”
- Human support, especially for foundational digital skills
- Opportunities for real-time questions and feedback
- Practice in real-world job contexts
- Peer learning and shared problem-solving
In other words, we need to combine the scalability of modern digital tools with the human elements that made earlier training models effective.
This is especially critical for adult learners in frontline and service roles, where digital tools are increasingly central to daily work, but structured support is often missing.
Rebuilding, Not Replacing
The future of workforce training is not about choosing between in-person and online learning. It’s about integration.
If we rely solely on efficiency, we risk building systems that deliver content but not confidence. And for many workers, confidence is what determines whether they can actually use what they’ve learned.
Rebuilding effective training means acknowledging a simple truth: people don’t just need access to information. They need support to turn information into capability. And that part of learning hasn’t changed, no matter how digital the workplace becomes.
Comments are closed.