Targeted training to address actual needs

Changes in competence requirements in today’s working life are often so sudden that the traditional approach of organising employee training in cooperation with external partners is not fast enough.

Recognising this challenge, Alma Media’s HR function developed a new agile training concept in spring 2015 to complement Alma Media’s previous solutions for developing its employees’ subject matter expertise. The concept was named the Alma Academy. 

Training provided by the Academy almost always starts from a unit supervisor observing that his or her subordinates need training related to a specific area. The supervisor contacts HR, who assist in planning the training. In practice, the supervisors and participating employees create the customised training content themselves to ensure that it matches their needs. 

The Academy’s training programmes are usually very popular. Supervisors are pleased that the training programmes only take a couple of weeks to put together, while employees are happy that the content is very practical as well as efficient in terms of the use of time.  

“Alma Academy’s training is also cost-efficient, because the training is mainly provided by Alma Media’s in-house professionals as well as experts who are within the contact networks of Alma Media employees,” says satisfied HR Manager Heini Heikkilä.