Change was inevitable, says Juliette Fourie, CEO of Metro Minds.“We saw it coming. The change. The technology. The removal of educators like old furniture. We just did not realise it would all be driven over the edge by a virus called Cov id-19.”In a world where very little has been left unscathed by the pandemic, the clearing and forwarding industry will have to embrace training more than ever before.And in a very different environment from what they are used to.“The immediate challenge we faced after lockdown was announced was the lack of equipment and connectivity of learners trying to continue with their studies remotely,” explains Fourie. “Very few employers provided their students with the tools to access the online platforms that we provide. This forced us to change our business model from manual to completely online. Now, every student who registers with Metro Minds receives a tablet with all the necessary learning platforms, applications and learning guides, with 10 GIG data per month. This way we are confident they can continue their learning without hassle.”The brick-and-mortar classroom of old is disappearing quickly. “With this in mind industry should be investing more in equipping their employees to be able to work and study remotely, for future.” She says those clients that opted to continue training during the difficult months of 2020 via virtual learning platforms are companies that have come out strong and positive and have reached targets.“The learning methodology may be different, but the learning is still important. Especially now, individuals want to explore more and extend their knowledge. They want to find ways to work smarter than before and embrace the changes. The big positive about virtual learning is that it is shorter than usual, which forces us to create new and more impactful sessions. We have provided free hour-long webinars on all kinds of self-development topics. During times like these, people want to secure themselves in any way possible. Mind, health and career.”The new approach to training, says Fourie, is always more cost-effective as programmes are shorter and can be tailored to meet very specific needs. Her advice to employers in these uncertain times is to focus on the mental wellbeing of staff. “Don’t pressure more, people can only do so much and you will lose far more than just a shipment. Focus on the smaller steps to development which will, in the end make big changes and provide the platform for innovations.”Now is also the best time to tap into people’s creativity, initiatives and new ideas. “We also need to stop talking about going back to ‘normal’. We are not ever going back to that, and that in its own sense is a huge loss for many people. Focus on how to make the virtual workspace more productive. It is all about working smarter. Education should sit in the centre of all of this. That education does not only refer to staff, but also suppliers, customers and communities.”
