The future of MLS
The majority of participants in our study responded that they plan to expand their use of outsourcing over the next 12-18 months. For those that aren’t immediately planning to do so, some told us that they take a ‘needs must’ approach to outsourcing, knowing it's a valuable option if they need to scale up operations or seek expert consultation.
For businesses looking to increase or continue outsourcing L&D activities, they expect to be working with their managed learning provider to broaden what it is possible to outsource. Some employers told us they want more range of learning activities to be outsourced, showcasing an increased appetite for an all-in-one approach.
Simultaneously, building on the turbocharged digitisation of learning over the last two years, there is also an appetite for managed service providers to help with taking that digitisation to the next level, helping employers move from simple digital solutions to next-generation options.
With many survey participants noting how they’ve already upped their demand for digital or hybrid-appropriate learning over the last two years, it’s clear that — with the majority of organisations operating a hybrid model — this appetite isn’t going away.
From what survey participants explained, it is clear that they plan to continue with the same partnered, flexible outsourcing model, too. Turning to managed learning partners as needs dictate and budgets allow. Managed providers who can deliver in this way — and offer a full range of services, becoming experts in digital delivery and quick to understand what the latest skills employers need — will be the most sought after.
Conclusion
Despite evolutions in how managed learning is perceived and utilised by organisations, it is still, ultimately, about supporting the organisation in delivering its learning strategy. Indeed, the managed learning landscape in 2024 shares many similarities with 2018, with businesses wanting a partner that will integrate, align and partner with them in order to enable learning to become a true enabler of organisational success.
However, over the last five years, it’s also clear that much has changed. Disruption, uncertainty, volatility and change are now the state of play for businesses. As such, although ‘how’ providers and employers work together and maintain a collaborative relationship is still seen as critical to success, flexibility, innovation and the ability to add capacity as and when it is needed is now also centrally important. Within this, good communication, adaptation, transparency, provable expertise and working in unison towards overarching business goals — whether that be talent strategy goals, commercial goals or newly central ESG targets — were seen as the bare minimum standards for success.
In fact, so mature and successful were many managed learning partnerships in 2018 that in 2024 organisations have increased their appetite for outsourcing across the whole learning lifecycle. Some planning to take it global, increase the amount they outsource in the future and turn to their managed learning providers to take their learning to the next step. Whether that is creating new future-focussed strategies from market insights, getting extra consultation on how to transform, or accessing next-generation learning techniques and technologies. It remains to be seen how large language models and generative AI will impact this relationship but innovative providers will likely already be preparing using this new technology to automate content creation, create adaptive learning pathways, customise feedback and create dynamic libraries and curricula.
Whilst offering a wide scope of services is seen as a base level, front-and-centre once again is the ability to provide cost-effectiveness for a client. This might not necessarily mean the cheapest but it does mean understanding L&D’s resource and headcount constraints and adapting delivery to their needs in a turbulent market — a state of play that businesses in many sectors are facing.
With disruption set to continue, choosing a managed learning provider which can react to changes, guide you through market fluctuations, deliver in the face of evolving needs, and manage a relationship effectively should be top of mind for businesses seeking managed learning services. In this way, providers and businesses can go forward together and realise the obvious benefits managed learning provides.
"...choosing a managed learning provider which can react to changes, guide you through market fluctuations, deliver in the face of evolving needs, and manage a relationship effectively should be top of mind for businesses seeking managed learning services."
