Latest Research: Frontline a "Key Focus" for 2024

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What do Josh Bersin, David Wilson , Elliott Masie , Dani Johnson , and The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program all have in common?

Each has recently raised the critical importance of addressing a major gap in the learning and benefits strategies of most large employers: the skilling of hourly and deskless frontline employees.

A newly released report by Fosway Group highlights frontline skilling as one of eight key market trends of 2024.

From the just published Fosway 9-Grid Learning Systems report:

"Frontline (often deskless) workers continue to be a key focus for digital communication and learning. Whether in manufacturing, transport, call centres, retail or hospitality, the relaxation of restrictive mobile device policies has opened the door to the rapid distribution of product knowledge or updates using micro and bitesize learning, without the need of a work computer."

"Effective learning and engagement for frontline workers will only grow further in a recession-led economy too. In many sectors, over 50% of the employees are deskless workers so serving them well is critical to success and has massive market potential."

Historically, companies focused almost exclusively on skilling frontline workers in job basics: the right way to flip burgers, lift a heavy box, or operate a cash register. That's so 2010.

Companies like Amazon with its Career Choice program have raised the bar for all employers competing for reliable, motivated, conscientious frontline workers by significantly broadening skilling options.

Amazon hourly "blue badge" associates, of which there are roughly 500,000 in the US primarily working in fulfillment and distribution centers, can opt into a wide variety of educational programs ranging from vocational pathways like nursing to technical programs such as data analysis and college degree programs. These are life-changing opportunities for people who may have had very limited educational opportunities, or are recent migrants aspiring to a better life.

Underpinning Amazon's entire Career Choice program is an opt-in, open to all, foundational English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Given the large percentage of non-native English speakers in the US workforce, it should be no surprise that ESL has rapidly become one of the most popular programs offered.

The benefits of offering an English language program are many: improved acquisition, retention, loyalty and productivity of frontline.

Investing in frontline for English and other skills represents a new investment for companies, but given that hourly workers make up 70% of the overall workforce, spending in most companies has been disproportionately weighted toward salaries and professional workers.

Is there a payback? Amazon, a relentlessly data-driven company which has fueled its success, clearly must see demonstrable ROI by investing in ESL and other educational benefits at scale.

What do you think? I'm interested in your comments.