Bridging the Knowledge Gap

13:00 Linkedin London HQ.

My first impressions… superb. It’s an extremely modern office. I had the privilege of beginning my career in a tech start up, where we were provided with free lunches, free drinks on Fridays and nerf guns but this was on another level.

Everything was pristine and organised it felt like an office fit for a company that is winning numerous number of awards for digital trust, legitimacy and security.

Linkedin is almost known as a faceless organisation, it is typically associated as a platform where professionals create a profile with their experience and attempt to secure a job. However, there are actually four arms to Linkedin. Talent Solutions, Sales, Marketing and Linkedin Learning – the newest but fastest growing arm of Linkedin.

Linkedin Learning piqued my interest the most because of the community events my company had been invited to take part in recently. We have worked with community groups such as the Nigerian Community in Oxfordshire (Nicoox) and Family Arena who provide adult learning courses and holiday activities for children. These groups have a special interest of creating economic opportunities for members from the BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) community.

Linkedin’s mission is to connect the worlds professionals to make them more productive and successful. Full employment is one of the UK Government’s macroeconomic objectives because high unemployment has various social and economic costs like homelessness, crime, etc. According to the House of Commons report in May 2018, unemployment rate for the white ethnic group was 4.2% whereas it was 7.1% for people from people from a BAME background.

Linkedin Learning enables professionals to upskill by providing a wide range of online courses. It aims to be the Netflix of education. This tool is amazing for businesses as it makes them more desirable to top candidates. Due technological advancement (e.g. Artificial Intelligence), Linkedin Learning enables professionals to stay on top of the latest competencies. However, with corporate licenses starting at £2,500 per annum, how can grassroots organisations benefit?

After my meeting at Linkedin I have been in touch with a number of community groups regarding Linkedin Learning and other online platforms. A common theme is that they do not feel that the platform is accessible to their community and Linkedin seems to cater for more established professionals. Secondly, with regards to cost, they prefer free online courses such as those provided by UKonLine or Vision2Learn. Reed recruitment got a special mention because they offer big discounts on desirable courses. Finally, there is a culture of knowledge sharing within these communities as members prefer to learn together rather than individually. This could possibly be because members of these groups are from a more collectivist background.

I would love to introduce Linkedin Learning to these groups as there would be mutual benefits for all. Local businesses would benefit from more skilled workers, individuals from these groups would be able to change or start new careers which will boost the economy.