Dive Brief:

• Just 20 years ago, the chief learning officer was only in charge of learning and development, but today he or she is directly involved in the career development of a growing population of millennials who view learning as a game-changer.
• CLOs are also addressing talent management because of the increased need for skilled labor in a market saturated with inexperienced candidates.  Ed Cohen, learning and leadership development consultant for Nelson Cohen Global Consulting advised Bloomberg that by the year 2028, the workforce will have lost around 65 million baby boomers who will take with them all their knowledge. 
• By using technology, CLOs are increasingly being viewed as strategic talent management partners. Cat Lang, chief learning officer at Appirio, told Bloomberg that training is looked at as a competitive advantage by building on expertise.

Dive Insight:

Just like human resource officers, chief learning officers are being tasked more often with supporting the corporate culture and talent strategies of the companies they work for. There are many ways that they can accomplish this. Helping to stay ahead of learning trends, technology, and skill gaps can place any CLO into this position as part of the decision-making team.

As companies continue to compete for both talent and business, having a well-designed employee development program in place can put them in the advantage. As evidenced, metrics are also critical, because incoming talent wants assurance that they will be able to move up in rank as a result of engaging in learning. Customers will also want to know how many employees are taking part in company learning programs so they know they are getting quality services.