New Exploratory Business unit to meet future demand for lifelong learning
SSE Executive Education’s new business unit Exploratory Business will be fully focused on identifying and refining innovative new educational solutions in terms of partnerships, pedagogy, payment, and delivery format. Systematically exploring new ideas and swiftly putting them to the test puts us in a strong position to handle the changing needs and behavior patterns of client companies and participants alike.
A response to new and changing needs
All educational organizations face the challenge of refreshing what they offer quickly enough to meet new needs and expectations – driven by both organizations and individuals.
The organizations need to secure employees with relevant and up-to-date skills for the sake of their development and competitiveness. We are also seeing the emergence of industries whose logic defies tradition – such as hybrid organizations, gaming companies, and retailers – requiring different forms of learning.
At an individual level, digitalization has changed our way of thinking on many fronts, not least when it comes to learning. We expect to be able to quickly and conveniently access the knowledge we need, as and when we need it. There are consequently more educational formats to choose from than ever before – everything from physical courses with fixed dates to subscriptions to digital training material via Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs. And there are numerous mixed formats in between.
“Exploratory Business is an ambitious forum for driving more radical innovation of educational formats. Within this framework, we can explore future needs and test formats that go beyond what we already offer.”
Anders Richtnér, CEO SSE Executive Education
Naturally, SSE Executive Education’s program catalog will continue to undergo its rolling product development, but with Exploratory Business, we will be able to expand our horizons and take a more radical approach. The successes that this generates and that we truly believe in will then be incorporated into our core business.
Partnership and small-scale testing
In the first instance, Exploratory Business is about finding new partnerships, solutions and offerings that meet the needs of potential clients. This will be a core focus to begin with – defining what makes a true, modern partnership today and how we can find easy ways to team up with others on various tasks to the benefit of everyone involved.
“Together with other suppliers who also have a passion for lifelong learning, we can find new forms of partnership and quickly get started on small-scale testing. And if we can get started quickly, we can also learn quickly, adjust and test again until we find a format that all parties are happy with.”
Erica Keim, Head of Exploratory Business
Value creation and business focus as compass
Exploratory Business will have a clear business focus. The ambition is to be able to react swiftly to new needs and opportunities without ever compromising on the quality of the delivery.
And there is certainly no shortage of opportunities. Ideas are flooding in from every part of the company, cropping up in client inquiries, discussions with clients and participants and our own business intelligence. The key, of course, is to identify where best to focus resources and in what order.
“What we’re on the look-out for is those win-win-win opportunities. They have to work well and create plenty of value for us, for our partners and, of course, for those who’ll be participating in and consuming what we offer.”
Erica Keim, Head of Exploratory Business
For more information, visit Exploratory Business. Or contact Carl Klingborg, Strategic Partnership Manager: carl.klingborg@exedsse.se.
