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- More and more companies are turning August into a month for sowing the seeds of new skills in a voluntary, flexible way that is tailored to each person’s pace.
- ODILO identifies five keys for companies to take advantage of this time as a starting point toward a more strategic learning culture that benefits both employees and the business.
Madrid, August 12th. In a constantly changing work environment, companies are looking for new ways to strengthen internal talent without sacrificing well-being. August, historically linked to the summer break, is beginning to emerge as an active pause, in which teams—with less operational pressure—can have space for personal and professional development at their own pace.
Far from representing a demand or an extension of the working year, many organizations already offer a strategic plan during these weeks focused on flexible and personalized training. This allows professionals to advance in new skills, update their knowledge, or explore interests without interfering with their rest.
According to the Trends in Adult Learning report by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), organizations that promote an active learning culture among their employees are more resilient to technological and economic changes and achieve greater talent retention. In this sense, encouraging learning during periods of lower activity, such as August, can become a competitive advantage. This approach allows teams to start September motivated, prepared, and aligned with the challenges of the new year.
ODILO, a Spanish edtech company that enables organizations to create their own learning ecosystems, has identified five key factors for turning August into a strategic starting point:
1. Strengthen a lasting learning culture
Taking advantage of a month like August to launch or reinforce training initiatives allows learning to be introduced naturally into employees’ routines. The lower workload facilitates a better reception, and this initial positive experience lays the foundations for keeping training active throughout the year. Turning August into the starting point for a culture of continuous learning helps it to consolidate more easily and become integrated into the company’s usual dynamics.
2. Offer personalized, flexible training
Every employee has different motivations and needs. August, with less noise and urgency, is the ideal time to offer customized training programs that adapt to each person’s pace and professional situation. Digital platforms such as ODILO help achieve this goal by allowing each professional to choose their own learning path, generating greater commitment, motivation, and a sense of autonomy.
3. Objective: improve productivity
Training should not be limited to accumulating knowledge, but should be designed to have a direct impact on efficiency and business results. August is an ideal time to sow the seeds and implement programs focused on optimizing processes, strengthening digital skills, and encouraging autonomous decision-making, thereby increasing productivity and reducing adaptation times in September.
4. Anticipate key skills for the challenges of the new academic year
The start of September brings new goals, internal transformations, and, often, technological changes. Taking advantage of August to reinforce technical, digital, leadership, or collaboration skills helps reduce subsequent learning curves and accelerates the launch of new projects. Early training is a clear competitive advantage. In addition, the OECD highlights that preparing teams for the skills of the future not only improves performance but also increases employee engagement and their perception of the value that the company brings them.
5. Integrate tools that facilitate continuous learning
The use of digital platforms, such as those offered by ODILO, allows companies to create a learning ecosystem where each employee has access to content tailored to their profile, pace, and objectives. This personalization fosters commitment and ensures that the investment in training translates into tangible value for the business, reducing dependence on external hires to fill talent gaps.
In addition to all these aspects, we must be aware that professional development not only improves skills, but also impacts how people feel in their day-to-day work. Access to training content related to stress management, personal organization, communication, and work-life balance contributes to a healthier and more sustainable environment.
Training in August from this voluntary, respectful, and people-centered approach allows the return to work in September to be experienced as a natural continuation of personal and professional growth. By linking training with well-being, companies reinforce their commitment to their people and create environments where learning is also about taking care of oneself.
ABOUT ODILO
ODILO is a digital education company that enables any organization to create its own Learning Ecosystem, offering its users unlimited access to the world’s largest catalog of multi-format educational content and the ability to create all kinds of learning experiences without restrictions. More than a thousand platforms have already been created, providing access to 170 million users across five continents.
ODILO, the world’s largest educational ecosystem, has content agreements with over 7,300 digital educational content providers in all formats (courses, interactive applications, videos, podcasts, press, magazines, audiobooks, e-books, etc.).
ODILO is a multi-vertical company that promotes learning in private companies, public and private schools, public and private universities, certified professional training, public administration, and government.