5OS03 Learning and Development Essentials covers the core principles of learning and development practice for people working in people management roles. It recognises how learning and development links across the organisation and how it helps to improve performance. The unit explores the full learning and development cycle—design, development and facilitation—alongside alternative ways of learning that increase engagement and support business needs.
You will examine the key themes and current agendas shaping learning and development in organisations, and how learning connects with other organisational functions to help achieve business goals and objectives. You will also compare a range of learning and development methods, including how different approaches can be blended to create engaging solutions that meet learning objectives. In addition, you will discuss group learning and facilitation methods, and how different learning contexts influence learner engagement. Finally, you will evaluate the benefits and potential risks of informal and self-directed learning.
Table of Contents
Learning Outcome 1 – Understand How Learning and Development Connects With Other Areas of the Organisation
AC 1.1 Explore key themes and agendas that are currently shaping the provision of learning and development in organisations.
The learning and development (L&D) landscape is being reshaped by a convergence of economic, technological, demographic, and social forces. Understanding these themes is essential for L&D professionals seeking to design provision that remains strategically relevant and responsive to evolving organisational and workforce needs.
Skills Shortages and the Reskilling Imperative
The most significant theme shaping L&D provision is the global skills shortage and the consequent imperative for workforce reskilling. The CIPD’s Learning at Work Survey (2024) identifies that 72 per cent of UK organisations report skills gaps that are affecting their operational performance, with particular shortages in digital, technical, and leadership capabilities. The World Economic Forum (2023) estimates that 44 per cent of workers’ core skills will be disrupted by 2027, driven by technological change, green transition, and evolving business models. This context positions L&D not as a discretionary benefit but as a strategic necessity for organisational survival and competitiveness. Organisations are increasingly adopting skills-based approaches, mapping current workforce capabilities against future requirements and designing targeted learning interventions to close identified gaps (Bersin, 2024).
Digital Transformation and Technology-Enabled Learning
The accelerating pace of digital transformation is shaping both the content and delivery of L&D. Employees require continuous upskilling in digital literacy, data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation-related competencies. Simultaneously, L&D provision itself is being transformed through technology-enabled delivery methods including learning experience platforms (LXPs), AI-driven personalisation, virtual and augmented reality, and mobile microlearning. The CIPD (2024) reports that 67 per cent of organisations now use digital or blended delivery as their primary L&D method, a proportion that has increased markedly since the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption. This digital transformation demands that L&D professionals develop new competencies in learning technology, data analytics, and digital content design (Lancaster, 2020).
The Evolving Nature of Work and Hybrid Working
The shift towards hybrid and remote working patterns has fundamentally changed how, when, and where learning takes place. L&D provision must now accommodate distributed workforces who cannot easily attend centralised classroom training, requiring flexible, asynchronous, and location-independent delivery approaches. This theme also encompasses the broader evolution of work itself, including the growth of portfolio careers, gig economy participation, and project-based team structures, all of which challenge traditional assumptions about stable employment relationships and long-term development pathways (CIPD, 2024).
Employee Wellbeing and Sustainable Performance
There is growing recognition that sustainable performance requires attention to employee wellbeing, resilience, and psychological safety. L&D agendas are expanding beyond technical skill development to encompass mental health awareness, stress management, work-life balance, and inclusive leadership behaviours. The CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey (2024) identifies that 79 per cent of organisations have increased their focus on employee wellbeing in the past two years, with L&D playing a key role in equipping managers to support team wellbeing and in building individual resilience capabilities.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
DEIB has moved from a peripheral concern to a central theme shaping L&D agendas. Organisations are investing in unconscious bias training, inclusive leadership development, and programmes designed to support the progression of underrepresented groups. The CIPD (2023) emphasises that effective DEIB learning goes beyond compliance-focused awareness sessions to address systemic barriers, develop inclusive cultures, and build psychological safety where all employees can contribute fully.
Sustainability and Green Skills
The climate crisis and the transition to net-zero are creating demand for new ‘green skills’ across multiple sectors, including renewable energy, sustainable supply chain management, circular economy principles, and environmental compliance. The World Economic Forum (2023) identifies green skills as among the fastest-growing capability requirements globally. L&D functions are increasingly tasked with supporting organisational sustainability strategies by developing employee understanding of environmental impact and equipping specialists with technical sustainability competencies.
