LinkedIn Learning for staff self-development

The purpose of introducing LinkedIn Learning to the Department of Library Services is to drive learning and development, and to improve the skills of the Library support staff. The focus on learning and development is diverse, particularly for the Library support services staff.  LinkedIn is being introduced in our division to leverage the available learning resource from different fields.

The goal is to help the Library’s support staff to acquire the skills to aid them in performing their daily tasks. The platform also assists library divisions and individuals in keeping their skills within the spectrum of international learning and skills development. LinkedIn learning provides more than enough courses for all levels of staff within the Library’s Support section. The benefit of LinkedIn learning is flexible and customised individual learning as well as Library divisions or library teams. LinkedIn Administrators are also able to draw the learning report for library divisions and individuals to monitor their own progress using the analytics tool on the LinkedIn Learning management system.

The contribution of LinkedIn Learning courses has become more visible during lockdown. The Department of Library Services alone employs around 140 library support services staff, and about 1140 courses were completed on LinkedIn learning to date, with certificates of completion by the UP Library staff members alone.  The use of LinkedIn Learning makes the professional development of UP Library staff easier to manage while the availability of LinkedIn Learning platforms has assisted the Department of Library Services in running virtual meetings and workshops which were popular during the times of the COVIC 19 pandemic.

The quality of the content and information shared with our clients is a testament to the value of this platform, the evidence of which lies in the increased acquisition of soft skills and specialised skills, as well as in the improved confidence in our staff.  Our operations continued to run smoothly and our clients were mostly satisfied with the content shared on how to access our services. There was a recorded increase in the use of the platform to reach the student community regarding services such as Research and Development, Open Access drive, access to eBooks, access to our Repositories, as well as other Library services during this time. The increased available Library resources was communicated using the skills acquired on LinkedIn Learning and includes User Experience (UX), virtual communication skills, virtual etiquette, virtual customer service and virtual presentations.

The following aspects should be noted when using LinkedIn learning:

1. Staff learning analytics is an interesting feature on this platform, particularly to view staff progress and it includes a customised report.

2. The platform encourages learning by offering easy access to learning and certification.

3. Most of the courses offered are aligned to the 4IR skills.

For more information on how to access or customise LinkedIn Learning for individuals, departments or divisions, please email [email protected]