Ministry of Defense’s Mission

The traditional military recruitment practice of hiring at entry level and shaping careers from the ground up creates unparalleled opportunities for developing world class specialisms and expertise. It also creates a unique challenge; the Army has fewer options for bringing in new talent at middle-management level. As part of a huge culture shift designed to meet the challenges of the information revolution, the Royal Corps of Signals invested in LinkedIn Learning – providing a solution that offers targeted upskilling throughout the organisation, while giving soldiers the flexibility of remote, blended and digital learning paths.

 “The Army faces a fairly unusual challenge when it comes to learning and development. Because we tend to hire mostly at entry level, bringing in someone new doesn’t work in the same way it does in most organisations – and training our people takes a considerable amount of time. Giving soldiers and students the flexibility to structure their learning around their work and family commitments has helped drive a more modern digital culture for the Royal Corps of Signals.” Captain Neil Donaghy

The Army nurtures the talent of the individual. After entering at a junior level, personnel are encouraged into specialisms and supported with continuous training and development. The onus is on the individual to decide (as approved by the chain of command) on their chosen career path. This could be anything from technical skills to diverse thinking in leadership. People are encouraged to take courses to strengthen gaps in their knowledge. The legacy of comprehensive, best-in-class army training can now be complemented with diverse and accessible online learning.

Using LinkedIn Learning to digitalise the Ministry Of Defense’s learning culture

Having set a significant benchmark within just 6 months, MOD continues to grow this offering so as to best support its personnel.

By creating ‘learning champions’ within each of its smaller organisations, the Ministry Of Defense  is working to drive activation across the board. In giving smaller organisations the freedom to create their own content and build bespoke learning paths specific to the way they operate, it ensures personnel can easily source the role-specific information needed to optimise performance.