Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (February 2023)

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Training 68 videos a day, so the training must be visual to succeed. and switch screens often, but their smartphones are where

Not all videos are created equal. This is the generation of they really live. 98% of Gen Z owns a smart phone. We

TikTok and short videos which get to the point quickly. must bring the training to where they live.

Videos must be relevant and devoid of ? uff and ? ller. Vid- We’ll lose them if the mobile training is slow to load or eos must leverage strong imagery, animation where pos- requires endless scrolling. To accomplish this, we are: sible and even a humorous touch. Keep it real too. • Pairing down the content (the days of the 1,000-

Our Safety Management Systems (SMS) are being con- page SMS are over—can I get an Amen!), verted to video formats. The problem we face is not with • Incorporating social media interaction, the learning system and Gen Zers but with the older audi- • Keeping the navigation simple, and tors and regulatory agencies. They have come to expect • Designing it for clarity and conciseness.

one format and are very reluctant to change. 7. Self-paced learning. Gen Z craves knowledge but 3. Think outside the box. Use QR codes in places where thrives when they have the independence to direct their training may be needed. A QR code in the engine room training and create their own learning paths. They are the at the generator so they can see how an oil change is done Google generation. They know where to look when they correctly is one way, or at the ? re station so a vessel-speci? c need to know something. ? re drill video can be referenced for training. We will provide them with the place to ? nd what they 4. Create immersive learning experiences. Use simula- need immediately and what they need to move up. Train- tions, 360-degree videos and game-based learning. Gen Z ing doesn’t have to be as structured as it has been. is not a passive learner generation, so training can’t be pas- Instead of every May 1 we are going to learn about back sive either. They’re independent and adept at getting the safety, now it can be a year’s worth of learning in front of answers for themselves, and they want hands-on training them and they can pick what they want to learn and fol- they can fully immerse themselves in. low their curiosity. With set goals of completing all the

Gen Z has grown up with full access to the internet, required training in a quarter or a year, they will advance available at their ? ngertips at all times. This has created a through the training agenda.

culture of immediacy when it comes to searching for infor- 8. Personalize the learning experience. Use adaptive mation and consuming content: they expect learning ma- learning. Adaptive learning is a technique that uses AI terials to be available to them the moment they need them. technology to pivot learning to quickly address the needs

Are your materials instantly available or do they have to of the end-user. For Gen Z this means less time wasted search through a giant, printed manual? on training they don’t need and more opportunities for 5. Leverage bite-sized learning. We are developing targeted training. Algorithms detect and adjust learning to learning in quick, tightly focused bites that can be con- ignore what the user already knows and focus instead on sumed in minutes rather than hours. what they still need to master. Test out options accompany

That’s right, minutes. The average length of a video all training modules These algorithms can also see when a watched by Gen Z online is 2.7 minutes This type of train- learner needs remedial help and then seamlessly deliver it.

ing feeds both the Gen Z need for instant information and 9. Add a human touch. Gen Zers still crave human con- their short 8.2-second attention span. nection. 72% prefer face-to-face communication in the work

It also is the way that all the other generations in the environment. Gen Z craves social, face-to-face interaction.

workforce are now beginning to learn. If you don’t know It breaks through the multi-tasking noise.

how to do something or you haven’t done it in so long that It’s not atypical on any given evening for a Gen Zer to you need a refresher, there’s a YouTube video to learn from. send a direct message (DM) to a friend on Instagram while

Shouldn’t that be how your training program is structured? simultaneously listening to music on their Air Pods, watch-

Training that is available anytime and anywhere on various ing a newly released YouTube video, browsing on their lap- media types and it can be consumed on the go. top with 20+ open tabs, responding to work emails, and 6. Make it mobile. Gen Z might use multiple devices interacting on a subreddit. To older generations these are 14 | MN February 2023