{"id":10557,"date":"2025-12-08T15:01:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=10557"},"modified":"2025-12-08T15:02:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:02:30","slug":"how-experiential-learning-is-defining-a-new-era-in-government-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=10557","title":{"rendered":"How experiential learning is defining a new era in Government learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Lawrie Day, CEO at Cognitas Global<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s public sector organisations face unprecedented challenges in training and development. Despite real world risks such as cyber breaches greater than ever before, the UK Government and public sector departments are under pressure to achieve more with less in terms of training their people, stretching limited budgets whilst still delivering quality training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government, public sector and, in particular, L&D leaders, need to upskill and reskill workers in order to tackle critical challenges – from digital transformation to leadership development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In embracing new immersive approaches to train more people, government organisations can save time, reduce expenses, improve worker productivity and satisfaction, whilst meeting their compliance and capacity needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why public sector L&D leaders must improve their training delivery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world is more unpredictable than ever for government and public sector organisations today. Cyberattacks on national infrastructure, sudden supply chain problems, threats to space and maritime assets, healthcare systems that are pushed to their limits, and regulatory scrutiny that is getting stricter all the time – there has never been more pressure to be ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations face a critical skills shortage requiring rapid and effective upskilling and retraining of their workforces. Remote and hybrid work models are becoming permanent fixtures. It\u2019s no surprise that time consuming traditional training methods are increasingly seen as ineffective, with workers disengaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coupled with standard online training tools leading to poor attention, limited retention, and reduced application of learning, training is neither time nor cost efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The limitations of Learning Management Systems (LMS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there is a place for Learning Management Systems (LMS) – they are great for sending out information and keeping track of compliance, making sure that everyone finishes the required training modules \u2013 they have serious limitations when it comes to situations where real-world decisions can mean life or death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations have a hard time connecting LMS use to real-world results, lower risk, higher productivity, or higher value. People are rarely tested on how well they work together, prioritise, and handle stress in high-stakes situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the public sector, finishing an online module isn\u2019t enough to say that someone is \u201cready\u201d for real world situations. Immersive training fills this important gap by giving experiences, behavioural insights, and hands-on learning that an LMS alone simply can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How an immersive learning platform transforms training<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advances in cloud technology and immersive platforms have made it much easier to do realistic training by enabling people to train alongside their jobs. This way, it\u2019s business as usual providing critical services while also learning important skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public sector teams can run crisis simulations right in the places where they work with the right people. They can bring together learners from multiple locations in collaborative virtual environments that foster engagement and peer learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training is adaptable, frequent, and team leaders can design tailored immersive learning scenarios that address their specific organisational challenges and objectives. In addition, expert facilitation guides participants through scenarios that build practical skills and knowledge retention. People retain up to 75% of what they learn through immersive experiences, compared to just 10\u201320% with standard slide presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, the platform can reduce training costs<\/a> by up to 60% and decrease training time while improving outcomes. With advanced analytics that capture data this can create bespoke skills gap analysis and demonstrate its value for future training investment decisions. This means that those who embrace innovative learning solutions stand to gain a significant competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public sector needs to embrace technology to grow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s world, organisations must show that their teams are skilled and ready, even when under the most pressure. Learning must be based on the real problems teams face, with performance clear and measurable, and improvement constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a blend of the right people and technology, public sector organisations can confidently face the problems of today and tomorrow. Experiential learning gives public sector organisations the power to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n