The Market For EHS Training, Learning And Development Has Undergone A Radical Transformation

The Market For EHS Training, Learning And Development Has Undergone A Radical Transformation

Last week Verdantix published a blog on HSI's recent acquisitions in the EHS learning and development (L&D) market, following which readers raised a number of queries about corporate buyers’ view of L&D technology.

EHS functions have been digitising rapidly. One case in point: in 2015, commercial occupational safety software had the highest market penetration out of twelve EHS software use cases, with 30% of surveyed EHS decision-makers acknowledging the use of commercial software for this purpose; five years on, approximately 90% of EHS executives plan to use software for core use cases in 2021 (see Verdantix Global Corporate Survey 2020: EHS Budgets, Priorities & Tech Preferences). During this time, EHS functions’ focus has departed from a reactive health and safety management approach to placing a greater focus on preventative solutions.

Chief among EHS competency areas is EHS training, learning and development. Digitisation of this area has previously been centred around the growth of learning management systems (LMS). This shows up in our survey as a high market penetration of L&D software, with only 5% of 301 EHS decision-makers stating they had no plans to use software for this purpose in 2021.

Despite already high adoption rates, Verdantix research signals further investment in training, learning and development software, with 9% of respondents in our survey confirming plans to invest for the first time or replace their existing solution with a new commercial vendor in 2021. EHS executives’ desire for innovative learning solutions such as micro-learning, gamification, and virtual reality training is leading to increased investment. Consider multinational pharmaceuticals firm, Merck Sharp & Dohme, which has leveraged an AI powered safety training solution to significantly reduce incident rates. Although safety training is a core focus for EHS functions, inadequate training remains a prominent cause of workplace incidents. OSHA’s eighth most frequently cited standard in 2019 was fall protection - training requirements.

If you’re interested in learning more about EHS market trends, read the latest iteration of the Verdantix Global Corporate Survey report.