ONLINE TRAINING, LEARINING & DEVELOPMENT

PROPOSAL FOR IMPROVING STAFF ENTERPRISE

LEARNING AT PEARSON
Presented to

The Board of Learning and Collaboration at Pearson

330 Hudson St New York, NY 10013

NextStep Learning and Development, LLC

Sherma Lawrie

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Sherma Edwards
DETT 621 Section, 9040
November 29, 2015
Online Training, Learning & Development Proposal for Improving Staff Enterprise Learning at
Pearson

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Executive Summary
Pearson is an organization, which believes learning is the best thing people can do to
improve themselves and their goals are to be able to instill the love of learning in everyone
(Pearson, 2015a, para. 1). Pearson is considered to be the worlds leading learning company with
approximately 40 thousand employees in more than 80 countries worldwide and their focus is to
help learners of all ages make progress in their lives through personal and collaborative growth
(Pearson, 2015a). This organization holds an accreditation that maintains a high commitment to
professional practices in standardized testing (Pearson, 2015b, para. 1), to accredited schools,
districts and qualified professionals (Pearson, 2015b).
Pearson strives to uphold a mission which involves helping people make more out of
their lives through life long learning, digital divide and an unflinching commitment to
measurable results (Pearson, 2015, para. 1). The company also tries to do better in improving
the Learning and Development (L&D) needs and organizational potential by maximizing their
employees skills and full potential. Although this company may strive to be the best in
education, they are currently at stage 3 of the L&D Capability/Maturity. Based on the needs
analysis previously conducted in assignment three, this gap needs to be filled. Pearson must
continuously conduct a needs analysis and to also learn best practices when implementing
effective learning for their employees because it is a vital part of their business strategy.
According to the fortune newspaper article written by Reingold (2015), Pearson generates
approximately 8.2 billion dollars in revenues. Unfortunately, no information can be found on
their own website or external websites where newsletters were posted or interviews were
conducted which illustrates any data showing how much they spend per year from their revenue
on staff training and L&D opportunities. Therefore, this is a very huge problem. According to

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The Association for Talent Developments ATD 2014 State of the Industry report, spending on
employee training must remain a priority (Miller, 2014). Out of the 340 organizations that
submitted their 2013 training and development efficiency and expenditure data, which was
included in the 2014 report, organizations on average spent $1208 per employee on training and
development (Miller, 2014, para. 2).
NextStep Online Training, L&D LLC (NOTLD LLC), is pleased to be sharing the
enclosed information with Pearson to help with the disparity in their L&D Capability/Maturity
and to improve employee needs:

Firstly, NOTLD LLC will be establishing an estimated L&D budget for Pearson.
It will be discussed on how this money should be spent on each fiscal year on
educating the entire workforce and ways to improve training and development
opportunities. Pearson will realize that the return on the investment is invaluable

despite the cost.

The distance learning and supplemental program or initiative called Pearson
Academy Plus is created to help improve or upgrade the existing training and
development program called Pearson Academy. Pearson Academy serves as a
learning resource promoted at this company to help maintain the standardization
of learning across the board at Pearson and efforts to improve One Pearson
(Towers Watson, 2014).
Introduction

NextStep Online Training, L&D LLC (NOTLD LLC) is very pleased to have the
opportunity to present its business case, proposal and deployment or action plan to Pearson.
NOTLD LLC is aware of the challenges to be faced when planning an effective staff training and
L&D program, however this proposal will outline a learning program that is based on an

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enterprising project according to Peake & Heidt (2015) that is a project-based and actionlearning program that culminates in a sales activity (para. 3) that will best address Pearsons
L&D needs and support their organizational goals. The plan will include a description of how the
proposed L&D elements will be managed and measured, how Pearson will be able to tell if this
plan is successful when it is implemented and how to promote quality improvement.
Enterprising Project
An enterprising project offers a reason to learn new things (Peake & Heidt, 2015, para.
6), however in this case is to help improve staff enterprise learning at Pearson. NOTLD LLC
understands the value of an enterprising project as it is often based on individual and group
interest, skills and abilities Peake & Heidt, 2015, para. 6), and offers an opportunity to increase
the strength based approach to learning. However, after conducting the needs analysis and case
study review at Pearson, NOTLD LLC realizes the enterprise project must include the companys
stakeholders such as the employees, The Educe Group whom Pearson has already developed a
collaborative partnership with and is an industry and product expert for L&D performance,
Karen Gettman, the VP and Director of Learning and Collaboration at Pearson and her team; and
other leaders that has interest and concern for this organization. NOTLD LLC also understands
that the stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organizations actions, objectives and
policies. Therefore, it is NOTLD LLC vision to involve them in the event any changes are to be
made which will be kept simple but will be quite effective. NOTLD LLC may see the need to
develop other partnership opportunities with other organizations that are already at Stage 4 of the
L&D Capability/Maturity level and have proven to be successful in this area of expertise such as
Skillsoft and The Ken Blanchard Companies. The illustration below will be the model and
guidelines NOTLD LLC will follow:

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Having Ideas
Under this category, the goal is to understand and clarify any problems. The L&D needs and
challenges found at Pearson are as follows and must be addressed in the early stages of the
enterprising project:
L&D needs/challenges: Examples and Solutions
Pearson must list specific jobs/roles held by employees and set both long-term and short-term
goals. NOTLD LLC will work with the stakeholders in making this possible and improving the
leadership development program. Development of performance evaluation, coaching, knowledge
management and career enhancement must be supported.
Pearson must formally identify the knowledge, skills and abilities their employees need to help
build and meet their business strategy. Employees must be exposed to motivational systems that
are incentive and reward based.
Pearson must formally discuss and include employee input as part of their business model.
NOTLD LLC suggests implementing a training and development questionnaire as a starting
point to obtain employee feedback. A sample of this can be found in Appendix A. Appendix A

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will help with conducting a self-assessment and transitioning into the Pearson Academy Plus
stage. The goal is to bring Pearson to Stage 4 of the L&D Capability/Maturity and stakeholders
must be a part of this change process.
Pearson must work on their L&D budget and NOTLD LLC will explain in greater detail and
make sure the organization is following the guidelines according to The Association for Talent
Developments ATD 2014 State of the Industry report.
Pearson must create a Community of Practice, Engage Website, Information Repository or
Knowledge Management System of Community Website for better learning opportunities and
situational solutions and career enhancement. Once the survey is conducted and feedback is
received, NOTLD LLC will see which program best fits Pearsons stakeholders need.
On the job training and Performance Support Systems for Employees will be needed as well as
Onboarding Training. NOTLD LLC sees the need for effective collaboration and communication
for the growth of Pearsons asynchronous online training, L&D component and workforce
education.
Building Teams
NOTLD LLC knows that by creating the right team and working in teams, especially
involving the stakeholders, those that were previously mentioned is the best way to lead others
and it helps when incorporating change and addressing Pearsons L&D needs. NOTLD LLC
follows the theory of change discussed by Peake & Heidt (2015).
Theory of change
People will change when they:

Are ready- This is only when the time is right (Peake & Heidt, 2015, para. 13).
NOTLD LLC will make sure that when Pearson Academy Plus is launched, since this

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will be a new initiative and program, the employees will be a part of this process from

start to finish and they have a choice and control (Peake & Heidt, 2015, para. 13).
Inspired- Employees will be inspired by the new idea because it will be beneficial to

them.
Have a desire to- NOTLD LLC will be projecting to improve the existing L&D and to

enhance employee training.

Develop new tools- The tools will help with new thinking and developing skills (Peake

& Heidt, 2015, para. 13).

Take new action- Employees will be exposed to something different than what they have

done before.
Build on strengths- Pearson Academy Plus will help build on existing aptitudes, interests

and abilities (Peake & Heidt, 2015, para. 13).

Get structural support- Leadership teams, management and employees will be involved in
this change process, therefore as part of the buy in process there is already a healthy

environment and the people around will be supportive of the change.

Success- Pearson Academy Plus will allow employees to experience early success
Financial Plan and Projected Budget
According to Miller (2014), in 2013 organizations on average spent $1208, and the

number of learning hours used per employee was 31.5 on training and development. Small
organizations with less than 500 employees spent an average of $1888 per employee (Miller,
2014, para. 5) and mid sized organizations with 500 to 9, 999 spent $838 (Miller, 2014, para.
5) and this was also the same amount spent by larger organizations with 10, 000 employees or
more employees in 2013 (Miller, 2014). Mid sized and larger organizations do not typically
always spend the same amount per employee but larger organizations often spend less (Miller,
2014). Since Pearson has an average of 40, 000 employees, they will have a large direct learning
expenditure budget but in the long run they will end up spending less per employee because the

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cost to develop and maintain the training is spread among more employees (Miller, 2014, para.
5).
Sample Budget
According to The Association for Talent Developments ATD 2014 State of the Industry report,
Pearson should have an estimated budget listed below:
Item
Project fund & Learning

Detail
On average Pearson needs to

Total
An average of $535 per

resources

invest at least 36 hours of

employee for 40, thousand

training for 4.5 days per

employees will = $21, 400,

employee.

000

Given the figures illustrated above, out of the 8.2 billion dollars in revenue, Pearson
should at least be investing 21 million, 400 thousand each fiscal year as part of their L&D
budget.
Project Based Learning
NOTLD LLC believes that before L&D needs can be improved and Pearson
Academy Plus is launched, a project-based learning (PBL) should occur. A PBL will be a part of
the pilot program. PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by
working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex
question, problem or challenge (Buck Institute for Education, 2015, para. 1) and the participants
are usually involved in the design, problem solving and decision making process. Developing a
PBL approach and pilot program before the official launch of Pearson Academy Plus is an
effective way for the leadership teams at Pearson to learn and develop deeper learning
competencies required for success (Buck Institute for Education, 2015, para. 1) and this is a best

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method for NOTLD LLC to know if the proposed L&D elements is successful when it is
implemented and will help to promote quality improvement. After the pilot stage, this type of
learning must be continuously practiced because a learning needs analysis is a continuous
process for any organization.

According to the image above, PBL promotes in-depth inquiry, voice and choice and
more importantly an opportunity for revision and reflection. Participants have an opportunity to
provide feedback and this helps with improving the process and product. PBL improves learning,
builds success skills, helps address standards, and provides an opportunity for participants to use
technology (Buck Institute for Education, 2015).
Action Learning Program

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The diagram above is a sample of an action-learning plan. According to Marquardt

(2014), action learning has suddenly emerged and is used as a key training and problem solving
tool for companies such Nokia, United Technologies, Motorola, Marriott, General Motors, the
US Department of Agriculture, Deutsche Bank and British Airways (Para, 1). These companies,
including hundreds of companies around the globe now use action learning for strategic
planning for developing managers, for identifying competitive advantages, for reducing
operating costs, for creating high-performing teams and for becoming learning organizations
(Marquardt, 2014, para. 1). NOTLD LLC also suggests that Pearson follow the trend by
promoting an action-learning program.
What exactly is action learning? Action learning is a dynamic process that involves a
small group of people solving real problems, while at the same time focusing on what they are
learning and how their learning can benefit each group member, the group itself and the
organization as a whole (Marquardt, 2014, para. 2) and action learning help to equip

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individuals, especially leaders, to be able to respond more effectively to change (Marquardt,

2014).
How the proposed L&D elements will be managed and measured
Continuous learning is an essential element of the ongoing success of any organization
and it encourages employees to cope with and to excel at increased job demands (Monster,
2015). This type of learning also allows businesses to achieve excellence and to maintain a
competitive advantage. Nonetheless, as the saying goes, if you cant measure it, you cant
manage it (Monster, 2015, para. 2). If you cant do either, then you may ask yourself whats the
purpose of investing in it (Monster, 2015). According to Monster (2015), it is suggested that
measuring how successful the return of investment on training is, by using the following
guidelines:

The average training time for each employee must be measured.

Check the training given against the capabilities within the organization and the

organization must prioritize to improve performance.

A criteria for measuring training success must be chosen and must include the following
such a direct costs, indirect costs, trainee feedback, examination success, performance
change or enhancement, increased productivity and improved income generation
(Monster, 2015)
Conclusion
Improving human performance is something Pearson needs to work on in hopes of

meeting the Stage 4 standards of the L&D Capability/Maturity. NOTLD LLC has proposed some
good ideas to drive this organization in the right direction where they need to be in satisfying
their employees L&D needs. Having a proposed online asynchronous L&D program will benefit
Pearsons employees because they will be exposed to quality education that was flexible. Pearson

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already has the necessary tools to provide their employees with professional practices in
standardized testing and to become certified in the area of expertise required for getting their job
done. By aligning the resources and tools that already exist and developing partnerships with
Skillsoft and The Ken Blanchard Companies, Pearson will be a leading learning company not
only for their clients but their employees as well.

References
Buck Institute for Education. (2015). What is project based learning? BIE. Retrieved from
http://bie.org/about/what_pbl
Home Energy Partners. (2012). Online training. (Online image). Retrieved from
http://homeenergypartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/online-training.jpg
Imperial College London. (2015). Enterprise and entrepreneurship project. (Online image).
Retrieved from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/ImageCropToolT4/imageTool/uploadedimages/landing-page-banner-project-themes--tojpeg_1423674531552_x2.jpg

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Marquardt, M. (2014). Action learning: A powerful new training tool for developing individuals,
teams and organizations. George Washington Universitys Faculty, Staff & Community
Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.gwu.edu/~bygeorge/021804/actionlearning.html
Miller, L. (2012). Action learning: Cycles of learning are the key to developing a culture of
continuous improvement. (Online Image) Retrieved from http://www.lmmiller.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/02/Action-Learning21.jpg
Miller, L. (2014). 2014 state of the industry report: spending on employee training remains a
priority. The Association for Talent Development. (ATD). Retrieved from
https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2014/11/2014-State-of-theIndustry-Report-Spending-on-Employee-Training-Remains-a-Priority
The Mobile Cloud for Business. (2014). Help your team focus with sales activity management.
(Online image). Retrieved from http://blog.impelcrm.in/wpcontent/uploads/salesActivityPlan.jpg
Monster. (2015). How can I measure the business impact of employee learning and
development? Monster Retrieved from http://hiring.monster.co.uk/hr/hr-bestpractices/workforce-management/employee-performance-management/how-can-imeasure-the-business-impact-of-employee-learning-and-development.aspx
Peake, D., & Heidt, F. (2015). EQUBED enterprise learning projects- an innovative preemployment training
program for disengaged youth. EQUBED. Retrieved from
https://revivefurniture.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/equbed-enterprising-learningprojects-proposal.pdf
Pearson Education. (2015a). About us. Pearson. Retrieved from

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http://www.pearsoned.com/about-us/
Pearson Education. (2015b). Accreditation Information. Pearson. Retrieved from
https://www.pearsonassessments.com/postsecondaryeducation/account/qualification_list.
html
Reingold, J. (2015). Everybody hates Pearson. Fortune. Retrieved from
http://fortune.com/2015/01/21/everybody-hates-pearson/
Towers Watson. (TW) (2014). Learning and development at Pearson. 20 questions for Karen
Gettman, VP and director, learning and collaboration. Retrieved from
https://www.towerswatson.com/en/Insights/Newsletters/Europe/HRmatters/2014/09/Learning-and-development-at-Pearson

Appendix A
Sample of Training and Development Questionnaire
Survey Monkey (2015). Training and development questionnaire. Survey Monkey. Retrieved
from https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=OTgxrF7LCCWIv6RrCqcN1Q%3D%3D