Technology plays a significant role in the formal educational experience of Gen Z. Interestingly, they see social media as both an appropriate learning platform and as a valuable tool in the workplace. An almost equal percentage prefer to learn on the job, from co-workers or others, rather than online.
This seems to indicate their familiarity with technology as the method of conveying information, familiarity that leads to comfort. It may also indicate their realization that the educational content from someone with actual experience is greater than e-learning.
Another interesting set of findings are the types of ways in which Gen Z desire to work with technology. There is relatively even division across the technology range, from R&D to developing apps for non-tech purposes:
- Developing technology (R&D) (46%)
- Use technology to help others or environment (40%)
- Ensure appropriate use of technology (cybersecurity) (39%)
- Implement technology for others to use (IT) (38%)
- Apply apps and devices to do work that is not traditional tech work (37%)
This logically impacts what types of learning they will need to enhance their work. Their familiarity with technology and their desire to learn from people on the job co-equally affect how the L&D may be provided. Gen Z has been as one with immediate access to information. While they may have greater confidence in learning non-tech skills from those people with whom they work (including their boss), they will not give up relying on almost instant instructional videos and mini-lessons.
Shift eLearning reports in 2018: “While [Gen Z] may need less training on technology, they may require more in offline interpersonal communication….[and]You need to create bite-sized learning modules to keep Gen Z-ers attention.”
Implications that we derive from this array of responses and conclusions suggest these focuses:
Attention the quality and viability of online content as current, accurate, and complete
- Application of design thinking to L&D: learner interviews, empathic design, rapid prototyping, testing and revising
- Provision of methodologies appropriate to content and learning expectations: on-the-job opportunities, online and on demand, partnership/stewardship, for example
- Combination of attention to Gen Z value of technology and people-connection
Summary
Delivered in the preferred modality for a Gen Z audience – i.e. predominantly online, on-demand, mobile and blended – L&D organizations with a broad portfolio of Associate-, Specialist-, and Expert-level training and certification in these cutting-edge technologies will be well-positioned to prepare the Gen Z workforce entering today’s transforming IT environments.
Sources
Carolyn O’Boyle, Josefin Atack, Dr. Kelly Monahan: Generation Z enters the workforce (Deloitte Insights, 2017)