Contents:
- “They don’t take it seriously”: why cooperation isn’t working out so well yet
- “They have a lot of cool stuff”: what areas of contact can there be between business and EdTech
- “They said: ‘Who are you?’”: how universities became a platform for cooperation
- What are the prospects for cooperation between corporate universities and EdTech
“They don’t take it seriously”: Why Cooperation Hasn't Been Established Yet
Domestic companies are actively collaborating with EdTech startups, but this collaboration is primarily limited to specific technical solutions, such as LXP platforms. Online schools in the corporate segment are not considered potential partners, as noted by Pavel Bezyaev, the discussion moderator and leader and founder of the Digital Learning community. This creates opportunities for improved interaction between online schools and businesses, which could lead to more effective educational solutions in the corporate environment.
Company employees actively use these courses for their professional growth. They find, pay for, and complete training, which allows them to develop and even change jobs. However, large corporate universities do not seem to attach significant importance to these courses. The speaker notes that many companies do not take this niche seriously, which may negatively affect their competitiveness and innovation.
The problem with partnerships between corporations and EdTech is that they operate in different spheres and, accordingly, solve different problems. This opinion was expressed by Natalia Tsarevskaya-Dyakina, Director of the Skolkovo EdTech Hub. For successful cooperation, it is necessary to find common goals and approaches that will allow both parties to combine their efforts. It is important to consider that each organization has its own unique needs and priorities, which requires flexibility and openness to dialogue to achieve mutually beneficial results.
Modern EdTech solutions surpass traditional Russian education in the field of vocational education. Online schools are focused on the needs of clients, training both young and more experienced professionals seeking to master relevant and in-demand professions. These professions include IT, internet technologies, business, management, as well as design and marketing. In contrast, corporate universities focus on the development of their employees, solving internal problems rather than market demands. Thus, B2B and B2C represent different segments of the educational space.
The second important question is who exactly to train. On the one hand, companies strive to acquire specialists who can be quickly integrated into work processes. However, as Yegor Sorokin, Director of Education Development at SkillFactory, notes, general educational programs cannot provide the necessary industry-specific training. The creation of specialized programs is only possible in collaboration with businesses, but currently, companies are insufficient in this area. This creates a gap between educational institutions and labor market requirements, which ultimately complicates the process of developing qualified personnel.
Online schools can offer training to employees already working at corporations. However, in-house training is focused on the development of employees moving from one level to the next, while online schools most often focus on training new and junior specialists. Corporations are interested in upgrading the skills of middle-level professionals, while online schools primarily offer courses for beginners and juniors. Even if an online school offers a course for mid-level professionals, the question arises of how to correctly identify who exactly falls into this category. It is important to balance the needs of corporate training with the offerings of online schools to create effective programs that meet the requirements of both parties.
In collaborations between EdTech and business, the interaction often occurs indirectly. A company employee selects a desired course and approaches the employer with a request for payment or reimbursement. This interaction highlights the importance of investing in training and development, which in turn contributes to employee skills development and improved company performance.
Developing a joint program is an expensive process that is not always justified in terms of scalability. This is because such projects require specific conditions and product adaptation to the unique requirements of both parties. As a result, this may prove economically impractical for the parties involved, as Marianna Snegireva, CEO of Netology, points out.
At Netology, a specialized department handles corporate clients (B2B), adapting products to specific business needs. This is because B2B clients often have more short-term and tactical tasks than B2C users. This approach allows for effective resolution of client needs and increases satisfaction with the company.
Each customization requires a significant investment of time, sometimes up to a year. Although such projects can be highly valuable and profitable, there is no guarantee that the EdTech platform will receive the contract, despite the time and resources invested. Such projects are typically difficult to scale, making them of interest only to a single client, making them impossible to sell to other potential buyers.
Egor Sorokin emphasizes that customization for businesses is a complex and lengthy process. He notes that commercial companies operate "on their own," and this model doesn't always ensure scalability. Development can take longer, and numerous conditions arise, including the need for employees to test it before companies are ready to invest in the project. At the initial stage, demonstrating the program's effectiveness is often required, which adds additional complexity. As a result, such customization may be disadvantageous for business.
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Renting courses for corporate training: is this option worth considering?
Corporate training plays a key role in employee development and improving business performance. Renting training courses can be an optimal solution for companies looking to improve their employees' skills without having to create their own programs.
Among the advantages of renting courses is access to a variety of training materials and methods that allow you to quickly adapt training to the company's needs. This also saves time and money on content development, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the business.
However, it is important to consider the disadvantages. Not all rented courses may be tailored to the specifics of your company or industry. Therefore, before choosing, it is important to carefully study the offered programs and their content.
Overall, renting courses for corporate training can be an effective tool if you approach the choice wisely. This will allow your team to acquire new knowledge and skills that contribute to the growth and development of the business.
Marianna Snegireva points out the main problem: businesses lack trust in the professionalism of potential contractors, as well as the existing conflict of interest in T&D departments. Top management often asks: why outsource when the company has its own training specialists who can handle all the necessary tasks?
Corporate structures often distrust online schools, as Pavel Bezyaev confirms. He notes that this distrust is misguided, as a significant portion of the population consciously chooses to study on online platforms and supports them financially, returning again and again. This trend underscores the growing importance of online education in the modern world and its ability to meet the needs of learners.
These aren't just one-time sales or temporary successes. After completing the training, our participants successfully find employment. What more proof do you need? The law of the market applies here: satisfy the consumer and you succeed; fail to satisfy and you're left out in the cold. This important aspect is often ignored by many corporate universities, which continue to look down on such initiatives, considering them secondary.
Marianna Snegireva notes that the ice in the field of specialist training is gradually melting. She cites Sberbank's recent approach to Netology as an example. The bank requested specialist training for a specific profile, demonstrating a growing trust in Netology's capabilities. Although this is not yet a systemic approach, but rather a targeted initiative, Marianna is confident that more such deals will be made in the future.
"They Have a Lot of Clever Features": What Possible Areas of Interaction Between Business and EdTech
Experts note that cooperation in educational technology (EdTech) can develop in several directions. Alexander Kurochkin, Head of Management Educational Products at Gazprom Neft's Corporate University, emphasizes that EdTech can facilitate the promotion of corporate educational programs in the external market. This interest is growing year after year, as internal training programs based on practical case studies of a specific company's specialists become relevant not only for the organization's employees but also for the broader professional community. This opens up new opportunities for knowledge sharing and implementing best practices across industries.
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Why does business turn to training? Education as an effective tool for branding and recruiting
In the modern business world, training is becoming an important element of strategic development. Companies recognize that investing in employee education not only improves their skills but also strengthens their brand image. Training helps create a positive perception of the company as an employer, which is key to attracting talent.
Branding through education allows a company to stand out from the competition. When a business actively supports the training and development of its employees, it creates the impression of a serious approach to human resources. Thus, potential candidates see the company not only as a place to work but also as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Furthermore, training helps shape corporate culture and values, which contributes to increased employee loyalty. When employees see that their development is a priority for the company, they become more motivated and productive.
In conclusion, businesses are embracing training, as it's not only a way to improve employee skills but also a powerful tool for strengthening the brand and attracting new talent. Education is becoming an important competitive advantage, contributing to a company's long-term success.
One promising area is transforming expert information provided by internal business specialists into an effective format. Here, EdTech demonstrates its strengths by facilitating the creation of training materials that will help better assimilate knowledge and skills. This approach not only improves the level of training but also makes the information more accessible and understandable to the target audience.
At Gazprom Neft, Alexander Kurochkin noted that internal training programs are actively developing. These programs are developed with the participation of internal experts, who transform their knowledge into an accessible and attractive format. Although gathering the necessary expert information for a course is not difficult, the methods and techniques offered by EdTech may prove more effective. The speaker added that if interesting solutions emerge that are currently beyond their attention, the company would be open to the possibility of partnering in this area.
The third area is technical. Online schools and digital services have developed a variety of methods for engaging and retaining audiences. In the context of corporate training, these tools can be just as effective as in open, massive courses. The use of modern technologies not only helps facilitate the learning process but also improves its quality, which in turn contributes to the development of employee skills and increases their motivation. The introduction of innovative solutions in corporate training allows us to tailor programs to the specific needs of the company and its employees, making training more targeted and effective.
Over the past few years, we have learned to effectively manage user engagement. This is especially relevant in EdTech, as every paying client is highly valuable to us. If a user loses interest in a course or lesson, despite their financial investment, this becomes a serious problem. Egor Sorokin emphasizes that over the past two years, we've developed the necessary expertise and service to retain our clients' attention and ensure their satisfaction. Asya Arakelyan, Head of Training at Hansa, notes that the company needs to train not only its own employees but also the salespeople at large retail chains that distribute its products. Successfully engaging these specialists in the training process requires significant effort. This circumstance became an important aspect of the partnership with EdTech, highlighting the relevance and necessity of effective educational solutions in today's environment. EdTech has a significant advantage due to its many unique features, the development of which requires considerable effort. For example, when participating in webinar training, we often encounter numerous distractions, such as checking email, reading the news, or doing household chores. The Webinar.ru platform offers a solution to this problem, providing not only statistics on the number of participants on a specific tab but also the ability to track which participants are currently distracted. This helps improve the quality of education and increase student engagement.
"They said: 'Who are you?'": How universities became a platform for collaboration
Corporations and EdTech continue to seek common ground, and universities are becoming an arena for their interaction. Representatives of both industries are turning to universities, despite constant complaints from businesses about the excessive academicism of traditional education and EdTech's clear emphasis on the practical training of future specialists. This cooperation can lead to a more effective integration of theory and practice, contributing to the formation of competent personnel that meet modern market requirements.
Natalya Tsarevskaya-Dyakina noted the initiative of Avito, which in the spring of 2022 began holding a series of lectures and workshops at leading Russian universities with the aim of attracting talented young people to the field of information technology. Despite widespread beliefs that traditional academic education does not prepare specialists ready for immediate employment in commercial companies, especially in their IT departments, such initiatives emphasize the importance of practical training and interaction with employers. This creates opportunities for students to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that are in demand in today's labor market.
She plans to call her colleagues from Avito.Rabota and honestly ask them why they chose universities when they know the contact information of the heads of online schools located there. This humorous remark clearly illustrates the question of why large companies do not approach educational institutions.
Online schools, faced with a lack of trust from businesses, often choose to partner with universities. Egor Sorokin emphasizes that it was precisely in this context that SkillFactory began collaborating with universities. Initially, the company launched joint educational programs, and now, through partnerships with universities, it is developing specialized master's programs tailored to industry needs. This not only improves the quality of education but also better prepares students for the demands of the labor market.
Products aimed at private clients in the B2C segment are also attracting the attention of corporate customers. This is confirmed by the fact that companies often pay for such master's programs, demonstrating an interest in developing the professional skills of their employees.
We chose the challenging path of collaborating with universities. Since the company believed that RANEPA provides high-quality management training, we decided to create a management program for digital transformation jointly with RANEPA. This program was developed and successfully implemented. We confirmed its effectiveness in the B2C market and achieved impressive results. For example, for certain courses offered to B2C clients, the share of payments from corporate clients does not exceed 20%. In our case, during the first two program launches, this share was over 60%.
The EdTech company offers educational products through an online platform, backed by methodological expertise. Higher education institutions attach academic significance to the programs, and the end users are corporate clients who are not interested in direct interaction with the EdTech company. This creates a unique structure where educational technologies and academic standards are combined to meet business needs.
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Designing higher education using the ADDIE model requires a careful approach to compliance with Federal State Educational Standards (FSES). The ADDIE model includes five key stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. During the analysis stage, it is important to identify student needs and labor market requirements to create relevant educational programs.
The design process must take into account Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) standards to ensure that curricula comply with state requirements. During the development stage, it is important to create teaching materials and resources that will support the educational process and facilitate the achievement of the stated outcomes.
The implementation of educational programs should take into account modern technologies and teaching methods, which will improve the quality of education and student engagement. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the educational process includes an analysis of learning outcomes, which helps make the necessary adjustments and improve curricula.
Thus, applying the ADDIE model in higher education design allows for the creation of high-quality educational programs that meet Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) requirements and modern market challenges.
Initially, universities showed little enthusiasm for online schools, but their position has changed significantly over time. Higher education institutions are increasingly recognizing the value of distance learning and actively partnering with online schools, opening up new opportunities for students.
Two years ago, when we began collaborating with universities, it was a challenging time. We faced mistrust: we were questioned about our identity, labeled an infobusiness and a new market player, which created barriers to collaboration. However, last year, we launched a successful master's program jointly with HSE and RANEPA. This was a turning point. When we approached universities again this year, they changed their attitude toward us. They saw that we were capable of creating joint products and attracting students. We highly value their academic expertise, while our strength lies in modern technology. Innovative solutions are born at the intersection of these two fields.
The speaker notes that the experience gained in EdTech can be successfully transferred to corporate universities. While large educational companies have significant advantages in tools and marketing, businesses, in turn, have unique expertise. This specific expertise is of significant value, contributing to the development of effective training programs and employee development.
What are the prospects for cooperation between corporate universities and EdTech?
Educational areas such as university, corporate, and private education have the potential for successful collaboration, each bringing unique value. Alexander Kurochkin shared a case study from Gazprom's corporate university, which illustrates how the integration of various approaches can improve the effectiveness of the educational process. The joint work of these three areas will allow for the creation of more comprehensive and tailored training programs, which, in turn, will lead to improved specialist qualifications and meet the needs of the modern labor market.
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We began developing the "Digital Lawyer" program, covering new areas related to the operation and maintenance of digital platforms. While searching for specialists with the necessary knowledge, we realized that we didn't have such specialists within our company. We approached the Higher School of Economics, with whom we jointly developed the program's content. However, when we approached the implementation stage, we discovered that we only had instructors. Now we need to find another provider who can help package all these materials for the successful implementation of the program.
The discussion participants agreed on the significant potential of partnerships between corporate universities and online schools, which is associated with a hybrid learning format. This collaboration can become the basis for an effective and innovative educational process, opening up new opportunities for students and organizations.
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