According to Hexagone, between March and June of this year, in full confinement, 72% of companies canceled the training contracted for their workers. The training consultants were forced to make an effort to adapt from one day to the next and offer their training services online.

In this sense, before the pandemic, 8 out of 100 students preferred face-to-face training over elearning. Despite these data, today the change in mentality is evident. Teleworking has been imposed and with it everything that refers to distance training.

According to data from Hexagone, this trend has become uneven and today 80% of workers receive their online training in the Virtual Classroom format, a system similar to face-to-face, different from elearning, and that allows them to attend a class with a teacher at via videoconference.

Gaëlle Schaefer, director of Hexagone explains, “The results and experiences on the part of the students have been much better than expected. The new Virtual Classroom system has improved the attendance and punctuality of the students, in addition it has been possible to meet the training objectives and the students have known how to adapt, perhaps due to telework habits, to this new reality ”.

Today, 8 out of 10 students approve the Virtual Classroom system as an alternative to face-to-face classes. These same students prefer this training system to the well-known elearning.

“Above all, what students are looking for is contact with a teacher. They do not want an online course but to be able to consult their doubts, learn live as if they were in a face-to-face class ”, explains the director of Hexagone.

Senior Management prefers face-to-face

The data of the Virtual Classroom trend collide with a profile that continues to prefer face-to-face training. Although it is a marginal figure that does not reach 2%, there are still professional profiles that continue to have access to face-to-face training: senior management.

“It is a profile with a greater possibility of investing in their training. Although it is almost anecdotal, the top manager of large companies or multinationals who can afford it continues to bet on face-to-face training ”, explains Gaëlle Schaefer.

The HR managers of companies are analyzing the training market in search of a service that guarantees a return on investment. They have not given up training.

On the other hand, from Hexagone they point out that during this year many consulting firms and training centers have closed due to a crisis situation that has left classrooms and centers without students. Those that had large infrastructures and that have not been able to adapt to the new situation.