Even small and medium-sized enterprises can take steps towards a culture of lifelong learning, if they provide the necessary support to the initiators within their organisation. According to Stella Collins of Stellar Labs, artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in this, although she emphasises that the company culture remains central.

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Is artificial intelligence the solution for lifelong learning? "We are already applying AI extensively. For instance, based on a few short questions, we can generate a first draft for a course or training within 10 minutes that is 70 to 80% complete. Perfecting that design requires a few more days of fine-tuning, instead of the usual weeks or months," Stella Collins shares her experiences with AI. "Just like with Chat GPT, AI is an extremely useful tool when used correctly, but it's not a magic wand that solves all problems."

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Collins emphasises that no matter how much you invest in AI or high-quality courses, the culture within an organisation is decisive. "To establish a learning culture, the entire company must be involved, and management must take the lead. It's important to support the driving forces behind lifelong learning within an SME, and AI can significantly ease this task," Stella Collins adds.

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Moreover, she states that learning is not just about acquiring knowledge. "While knowledge is essential, within an organisation, it's mostly about the willingness to change, to improve processes. Change is crucial for learning new skills and is moreover measurable, unlike knowledge transfer."

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She highlights the importance of customised courses and training, tailored to the specific needs of a company. By basing training on daily practice, changes can be made visible immediately. "Measuring the impact of change is critical to assess whether new skills are being applied and whether they contribute to the desired business development."

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An effective method to test learning outcomes is to encourage participants to share their acquired knowledge and skills. "True experts are distinguished by their ability to transfer knowledge simply and effectively," notes Collins.

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She acknowledges that it can be a challenge for SMEs to develop personalised trainings, but also sees a significant role for AI. "With AI, existing programs can easily be adjusted to the unique business context. It's important to support the driving forces behind lifelong learning within an SME, and AI can significantly ease this task."

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Read the article in Entrepreneurs magazine for West Flanders VOKA here.