Summary: According to Josh Bersin, learning technology expert, the decrease in spending on learning and development in the corporate sector due to the economic downturn is starting to creep its way back up, and technology is at the forefront. In this episode of Edgwise, Josh discusses how companies including Cisco, GE, and Apple approach the training and development of their talent. Josh defines trends of high impact learning cultures, informal training initiatives, Blended Learning, and how they can be a cost-effective conduit to optimizing employee execution. Josh also shares the single most important component of effective corporate training programs and how executives should be supporting and facilitating the learning taking place in their organizations. Josh Bersin is the founder #38; CEO of Bersin and Associates, a leading provider of research and consulting services in e-learning technology and implementation. Josh has been quoted on talent management expertise in BusinessWeek, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Investorrsquo;s Business Daily, on BBC Radio and National Public Radio.In 2010, Bersin was named by HR Examiner magazine among the ldquo;Top 100 Influencers in HRrdquo; and the ldquo;Top 25 Online Influencers in Talent Management.rdquo; Bersin also serves on the editorial advisory board for Workforce Solutions magazine and as a volunteer on the scholarship committee for the SHRM Foundation. Josh is also a columnist for Chief Learning Officer magazine and author of The Training Measurement Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Practical Approaches, and The Blended Learning Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Lessons Learned. For additional training on this topic, consider these AMA seminars: *Kirkpatrickrsquo;s Four Levels: Increasing Training Effectiveness Through Evaluation *Developing Your Collaborative Skills *AMArsquo;s 2-day Course on Corporate Performance Management To learn more, read these AMACOM Books: *e-Learning 2.0: Proven Practices and Emerging Technologies to Achieve Real Results, by Anita Rosen *Training on Trial: How Workplace Learning Must Reinvent Itself to Remain Relevant, by James D. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D *The AMA Guide to Management Development, by Daniel R. Tobin, Ph.D #38; Margaret Pettingell
