We’ve all experienced the monotony of online training, typically characterised by a series of slides where the only shred of interactivity comes through the “next” button. But according to Ben Roulston, learning doesn’t have to be like that.
After forging a career in the consulting space and gaining a wealth of experience from various customer service and training roles, Ben became familiar with a number of stumbling blocks in the vocational education training (VET) sector.
With current completion rates for VET courses hovering around a dismal 35 per cent, Ben envisioned the solution and started Learoy to deliver it.
“Methods of learning are not forward thinking enough to support what will happen with jobs in the future,” Ben told Dynamic Business.
“Drop out rates are high, a central issue being that students are not being matched to right course. The student experience is important and equipping them for the changing jobs landscape is equally important,” Ben said.
Learoy, a revolutionary learning provider, is founded upon the understanding that traditional learning methods in VET courses are in desperate need of revamp through innovation. Learning methodology, neglected my most training content providers, is the core focus for Learoy and exactly how it sets itself apart in the market.
Commenting on the methodology, Ben said “we use trend based learning – so using methods the student believes is right and not the tutor.
“Podcasts, ebooks, white papers are a few mediums we use to deliver outcomes to the student with the aim of increasing student retention and engagement.
“We are not a registered training organisation but a partner to a registered training organisation. We develop content from the ground up and promise a student experience that puts the student at the centre and gets the results.”
With ‘added value’ its central point of difference, Learoy employs a stringent ‘behind the scenes’ content development process. While many providers pull together different resources to create the curriculum, Learoy’s in-house researcher looks at trends under a topic, considers what will happen over the next few years and determines the currency of theories used. And it doesn’t come easy – taking as long as 12 weeks to produce one module alone.
So has Ben delivered the solution? A 10-month lifespan would ordinarily be too short for comment, but since its conception in November last year, Learoy has experienced rapid growth, now employing 25 staff.
And where is this all heading? After captivating the interest of learning and development HR professionals at the Australian HR Institute Expo in Melbourne recently, the team plan to work with corporates to implement the same learning methodology for their employees.
“The appetite for a new style of learning in corporate is massive,” said Ben.
There’s a long road ahead for a young business inventing “training for the next generation,” but commenting on the journey so far, Ben says:
“When you are following a passion and a purpose – you can achieve almost anything.”
