Dive Brief:

• Forbes announced last week it will add two new e-learning course collections to its Learn@Forbes e-learning platform. The two collections, Learning Paths and Forbes Specializations, are self-paced and may offer third-party certification, Forbes said.
• Learning Paths are programs that consist of eight "career inflection point courses" that aim to prepare learners for specific career milestones. Course examples include "First Time Managers" and "VP to Executive." Forbes Specializations include curated courses in specific verticals, ranging from marketing to leadership, entrepreneurship and HR, among others. Each Forbes Specialization includes eight courses that provide between 14 and 33 hours of instructional time.
• Each of the courses will also include a list of jobs most applicable to the skills learned in the course, Forbes said. Job listings will include opportunities in the learner's immediate area and will be pulled from Monster, ZipRecruiter and CareerBuilder.

Dive Insight:

Forbes' new programs tap into a common problem for modern businesses: a lack of training investment for managerial staff, particularly first-time managers. Promotions into managerial roles put staff in the often difficult position of directing and disciplining those who were recently their peers. It's a shift that experts say can be challenging without training and coaching, and even seasoned management can have difficulty enforcing certain rules.

Other workers, including hourly staff, may be interested in career training as a way to pursue internal promotions. Employers might weigh the cost of providing such opportunities with the cost of replacing workers down the road as jobs change, though both options can be investments. Transferrable credentials might also help workers to better verify the career skills they gain, and new categories of credentials have expanded to include highly specialized areas as well as soft skills.

HR professionals face an urgency to experiment with new forms of learning and development as technological change ramps up its impact on various industries. Employers may soon need to rethink not only the types of training they offer, but also the audiences that receive training investment.