Learnovate secures €3m of Phase 3 funding to develop next generation of workers

The Learnovate Centre is delighted to announce that it has secured €3m of Phase 3 funding as the technology centre focuses on the Future of Work and Learning to develop the next generation of workers.

Learnovate are global experts in learning technology helping organisations navigate the complexity of the evolving future of work and learning. Based at Trinity College Dublin, the industry-led technology centre is funded by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

The Centre has led ten years of research in learning technologies. The announcement of Phase 3 of the Centre means its work can continue into the future.

The Centre plans to double its membership in Phase 3, growth that is expected to see its value increase to €22m over the next five years. Research has found that Learnovate will be worth €50m to the Irish economy by 2025 and €100m by 2035.

While Phase 2 focused on supporting innovation in the Edtech sector, Phase 3 will extend the Centre’s previous research in online learning, adaptive learning and soft skills development, to include investigations into how people interact and experience learning, and the factors that impact their ability to adapt and learn.  

This represents something of a pivot for Learnovate and is designed to address the emerging gaps in skills development, with Phase 3 highlighting how organisations need to evolve to respond to the future of work.

Special guests at today’s announcement at Trinity College Dublin included Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English T.D., TCD Provost Dr. Linda Doyle, Enterprise Ireland Head of Collaborative Research Neil Kerrigan and IDA Ireland Executive Director Mary Buckley.

The event included a panel discussion on ‘The Future of Work and Learning’ featuring Brendan Noud, CEO of corporate learning experts LearnUpon; Mary Lyons, Director of Enterprise, Employees and Skills at state agency Solas and Dr. Ann Devitt, Associate Professor at TCD’s  School of Education and Learnovate Academic Director. The panel discussion was chaired by Peter Gillis, Innovation Services Lead at Learnovate.

Learnovate helps organisations transform learning experiences in the workplace, schools, universities, and at home. It currently has 66 member organisations from around the world, including Zoom, Mastercard and Gates Ventures. Some of its Irish members include LearnUpon, Folens, Akari Software and SoapBox Labs.

The Centre is supported by a team of experts from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines including technology, innovation, learning science, psychology, congnitive science and user experience.

These experts are all dedicated to investigating how to engage and motivate learners, and how to create innovative learning experiences tailored for individual needs. Ongoing learning is crucial for the development of an organisation as it leads to behavioural change that can impact its success. 

Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English T.D. said:

“Learnovate is working on addressing an extremely important issue in Ireland at present —  the emerging gaps in future skills development — and is doing excellent work with organisations on the need to evolve to ensure their workers are prepared for the future of work.  I am delighted to be here for the announcement of Phase 3 of Learnovate, a vital additional investment of €3m for the Centre helping Ireland adapt to new ways of learning.
 
“With over 2.5m people at work, we now have more people employed in the country than at any other time in the history of the State.  It’s important that these workers are given the opportunity to develop their skills and tackle new challenges throughout their careers.  The work of The Learnovate Centre is central in this regard and I wish the team every success with their ambitious plans for the future.”

Learnovate Centre Director Nessa McEniff said:

“Phase 3 funding is a vote of confidence in the team at Learnovate and it will help the Centre make good on its mission to deliver competitive advantage to Irish industry by leading the development of future-ready employees. During Phase 3, we will expand our research to look at, not just how human beings learn, but also what motivates them and drives behavioural change. Our research has never been more prescient. Indeed, according to the World Economic Forum, half of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. We are primed to address some of the emerging gaps in skills development.”

TCD Provost Dr. Linda Doyle said:

“Preparing students to meet future skills gaps is vitally important as we respond to increasing automation and digitisation. For educators, it requires an emphasis on creative thinking, innovation and leadership. It also means a new emphasis on students’ abilities to grasp concepts and make decisions. Learnovate is helping organisations to change their mindset and place a strong focus on upskilling, reskilling, learning, unlearning and exploring the frontiers of knowledge and abilities.”

Enterprise Ireland Head of Collaborative Research Neil Kerrigan said:

“Enterprise Ireland is delighted to support the next phase of research at The Learnovate Centre.  Innovation will be at the heart of our future economic growth, and ensuring that our workforce, and our future workforce, can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment is essential.  Over the past decade The Learnovate Centre has made a huge contribution to skills development.  That work will become even more important over the coming years and I am delighted that The Learnovate Centre will be leading research in this vital area.”

IDA Ireland Executive Director Mary Buckley said:

“Ireland has a proven track record as a successful location for world-leading established and high-growth multinational companies from around the world.  Talent remains a key differentiator for Ireland in winning Foreign Direct Investment. The quality of our education system and the skills of our people are among the top-rated operational factors in Ireland by IDA client companies. Learnovate’s support of small and large multinational companies, by providing access to expertise and thought leadership and by establishing a network of progressive peers that together address company challenges and opportunities,  is most valuable in supporting organisations to develop their workforce to be future ready.”