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Apprenticeships
Historically, the method of "training and development" received by most workers was in the form of apprenticeships. That is, unskilled laborers sought after skilled laborers to teach them how to work within a trade. Ultimately, this allowed for a niche group of trade-workers; however, the apprenticeships did not focus on the methods and delivery of training and development. -
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Scientific Management Principles published and becomes widely used
In 1911, Frederick Taylor published "The Principles of Scientific Management." The focus of the publication was to utilize scientific approaches to the development of job scope, training, and managing the workforce. The resource became widely popular in the 1920's. -
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The New Deal
In response to the Great Depression, FDR's "New Deal" highlighted the need for vocational programs. Within the New Deal several vocational and training programs were outlined and funded to support the development of the American workforce. -
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World War II -- Training for the Job
Established by the US Department of War, the "Training Within Industry" program was focused on training an unskilled labor force to meet the exponentially growing demand for war-related goods. This program focused on training new employees, managing workflows effectively, and increasing productivity. The methods of training developed during this time period are still used in some forms throughout the L&D industry today. -
Professionalization of L&D: American Society of Training Directors
The "American Society of Training Directors" was established in 1943. This organization was the first professional organization focused on training and development. Later iterations of this organization were the American Society for Training and Development and, finally, the Association for Talent Development. -
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Behaviorists & Humanists
The 1950's saw an adoption of behaviorists theories (Skinner, etc.). Essentially, these training modalities focused on reinforcing behaviors through rewards and repetition. The 1960's expounded on these concepts with humanistic approaches to learning. Humanist training focuses on addressing individual needs and empowering self-directed learning. This heavily influences the field of instructional design to this day. -
Sputnik and the race
The USSR launched Sputnik in 1957, catapulting the world into a new age of technology. With the Great Space Race beginning with the US behind, the US invested a significant amount of resources into education, technology, and training. -
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Computer Based Trainings emerge
In the 1960s, computer-based training became the cornerstone of training and development. PLATO provided organizations with the technology to provide training to employees without the need for a "live" instructor. This was the first step in capitalizing on computer-based new technologies for training and development. -
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Organizational Development
The concepts and principles of organizational development greatly expanded in the 1980's. With the invention of the internet and rapid technological innovation, there was a significant need to upskill workers in response to merging technologies, organizations began focusing on leveraging digital tools and learning theories to enhance performance, learning, and communication. This time span set the trajectory for using technology, instruction, and management to train employees. -
Happy Birthday, Internet & APPRANET!
Accepted as the "birthday" of the internet, computers were now able to communicate via a network via a standardized communication model (APPRANET). -
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The First VR
The 1980's ushered in an era of research into virtual reality. The first will known simulator was the "Super Cockpit," which was a flight simulator. These advancements in technology would be (and still are) continuously expounded on. This simulator laid the foundation for the use of VR in training and development in the mid-2010's. -
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Computers for all, "E-learning" for some.
The 1990's ushered in the era of personal computers. E-learning was utilized as a method of instructional delivery for corporations. -
Modern LMS
The first modern LMS, Ekko, was invented in 1992. -
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web becomes available to the public. -
Blended Learning & Competency Based Trainings
Though established in the 1990's, Blended learning began taking over corporate training and development in the 2000's. Due to advancements in technology, corporations sought to "blend" in-person trainings with virtual training programs. Additionally, beginning in the early 2000's there is an emergence of competency based trainings and using technology to provide competency based learning metrics. -
iPhone
In 2007, the first iPhone was released. This was the first smartphone to be widely adopted publicly. In the mid-2010, corporations began using mobile platforms to increase accessibility to training. -
The 4th Industrial Revolution "begins", AI makes a debut
In the mid- 2010's, there was a technological "boom" that forced accelerated technological growth within the corporate setting. A demand for engaging learning experiences led to the development of gamification and interactive media in training and development. Additionally, in the mid-2010's there were significant breakthroughs in certain areas of Artificial Intelligence, setting the scene for future AI use in L&D. -
Social Learning Platforms, the new "IST"
Social Learning platforms became widely used in the mid-2010's and through today. -
VILT
A sudden switch to remote work amidst the 2020 pandemic, corporations had to pivot and implement "Virtual Instructor-Led Trainings".