Corporate Academies: Flipping the Tassel on L&D | Deloitte US has been saved
Authored by Josh Haims and Zhdan Shakirov
The state of learning and development
People are the heart of any effective organization, and it’s critical that the skills and capabilities of the workforce evolve at the pace of change in the world of work. And, the half-life of those skills is shrinking.
Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report finds workers are spending 50% more time learning this year than the last¹—and in today’s fast-changing and competitive market, that’s time organizations can’t afford to lose. Traditional corporate learning and development (L&D) programs just aren’t enough to keep up with the rapid change of in-demand skills. In fact, 73% of organizations surveyed agreed it’s important to ensure human capabilities keep pace with technological innovation, but only 9% reported making progress toward achieving that balance.²
Buying and borrowing skills might yield positive short-term results, but building a truly agile workforce for the long term requires a different, and strategic approach. (That’s especially true as new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) dominate organizational priorities—though only 17% of organizations reported making significant investments in training and development to support AI strategies.³) Developing specialized in-house upskilling programs designed to build long-term capabilities can help an organization foster a sustainable and agile approach to learning that allows its workers to quickly adapt to the skills necessary for success.
Using learning to drive organizational outcomes
Enter the corporate academy. Corporate academies differ from “traditional” L&D programs by making a concerted effort to teach a concrete set of capabilities and skills that an organization recognizes its workforce needs. A corporate academy can offer in-house courses that are strategically and systematically targeted to skills and tasks—while at the same time deeply connecting to the organization’s vision, goals and culture. Unlike standard professional development courses, corporate academies operate in-house, course topics target company-identified needs and performance metrics, and typically are led by in-house specialists. Also, compared to the more generalized "any-company" L&D curriculums led by external teachers, the academy model is nimble and agile for change.
When used with purpose and intention, academies can provide employees high-quality, relevant and engaging learning opportunities—helping them acquire and apply the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their roles, grow in their careers and drive tangible business results.
The potential benefits that corporate academy programs can bring to organizations include:
A new-school approach to learning
High-performing organizations know that the workforce is their most valuable asset, and they invest in their workers’ continuous growth accordingly. When designed with purpose and intention, a corporate academy infrastructure can help organizations develop an ecosystem of instructional designers and subject matter experts who can help craft engaging learning experiences that excite learners and yield a return on the investment. If you’re looking to get started building a corporate academy infrastructure, consider the following:
Investing in building a corporate academy can help extend and strengthen your relationships with existing learning and technology vendors to help you deliver effective solutions at scale. Ready to learn more? Visit the Deloitte Academies for a first-hand view on the ways corporate academies can boost your organization’s performance.
Authors:
Special thanks to Dan Haddad, Kim Vay, and Ariel Ptak.
End Notes
¹ Sue Cantrell et al., 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, Deloitte Insights, 2024.
² David Mallon et al., What do organizations need most in a disrupted, boundaryless age?, Deloitte Insights, 2024.
³ Deloitte Insights2Action, “Skills gaps are slowing down AI-workforce integration,” 13 July 13, 2022.
⁴ Sue Cantrell et al., Building tomorrow’s skills-based organization, Deloitte, 2022.
⁵ Chelsey Taylor and Lindsey Straka West, “An evolved federated model: Connections conquer new heights in learning,” Deloitte Insights2Action, September 19, 2024.
⁶ Chelsey Taylor and Lindsey Straka West, “Closer than they appear: L&D is the ultimate advisor on workers’ learning journey,” Deloitte Insights2Action, October 15, 2024.
⁷ Chelsey Taylor and Lindsey Straka West, “Did you hear? Sound capabilities amplify learning impact,” Deloitte Insights2Action, April 18, 2024.
⁸ Intellum, “Research reveals the astonishing impact of customer education programs,” May 14, 2024.