NEW DELHI | BENGALURU: Last year, nearly 3,500 employees of technology major Ericsson in India opted to do something that’s not part of their key responsibilities: encouraged by the management, they took up online courses to brush up their tech skills and stay employable.
Sameer Khanna, head of human resources at Ericsson India, said the number was much higher than the previous year and that he is confident it will rise further this year. The company has formed learning communities to explore new and upcoming technologies. It has also tied up with online education providers including Stanford and Coursera to allow its employees access courses through the company system.
Ericsson is among tens of companies pushing their employees to join massive open online courses (MOOCs) offered by the top universities to upskill themselves even as online education upends established teaching norms, getting rid of the classroom and giving learners the ability to study from just about anywhere. Not only has it allowed students the freedom to take any course that interests them from top universities — mostly free if they don’t want a certificate — but it has also provided employers the freedom to upskill their employees as and when the need arises.
Consultants say most of the companies partner with online platforms such as Coursera, edX and Udacity to foster learning among their employees, and reduce costs and risks.