Success Stories: Leveraging Learning Credits for Effective Employee Training

Ever feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up with new developments in your field? You’re not alone. Keeping your skills sharp while juggling work and personal commitments can feel overwhelming.

That’s where Learning Credits come in, a flexible, prepaid system that makes training easier, cuts down on admin hassle, and helps employees grow. It’s changing the way companies invest in their people.

Take John, for example. He’s a mechanical engineer at a multinational company, and with technology evolving so fast, he knew he had to keep learning to stay ahead. But between his job and personal life, finding time (and the right courses) was a struggle.

Then he found out about Learning Credits. Think of them as a kind of ‘currency’ for professional development. His company had already invested in them, so all he had to do was choose the courses that mattered most to him. No complicated approvals, no out-of-pocket expenses—just straightforward access to learning that helped him stay competitive and confident in his role.

Let’s dive now into the world of Learning Credits, exploring the reasons organizations should consider adopting them, and discussing strategies for implementing this system to achieve maximum results.

What Are Learning Credits?

Learning Credits are essentially prepaid credits or tokens that companies purchase to fund various types of training, including live courses, certifications, and self-paced learning modules. These credits work like a flexible currency, allowing businesses to allocate funds for specific learning opportunities.

Introducing Siemens Xcelerator Academy Learning Credits
Siemens, a global leader in industrial manufacturing and digitalization, has taken a step forward in supporting continuous learning through its Siemens Xcelerator Academy Learning Credits that provide a flexible way to manage and allocate training resources according to the specific needs of individuals or teams within an organization.
The Siemens Xcelerator Academy provides a wide range of training courses focused on digitalization, automation, and electrification, from engineering and simulation to automation and beyond. With Learning Credits, organizations can now easily access these courses to enhance their technical skills, improve productivity, and drive innovation. They can be redeemed for various training resources offered by the Siemens Xcelerator Academy, typically used to enroll in instructor-led training sessions, both virtual and in-person, as well as to access self-paced learning memberships and hands-on labs. The timing for using these credits depends on the user’s training schedule and the availability of the courses. It’s advisable for users to plan their training activities in advance to ensure they secure a spot in their desired sessions. Moreover, Siemens Xcelerator Academy Learning Credits have a yearlong validity period, providing organizations with the convenience to plan and schedule their training over time.

Why Should Your Organization Use Learning Credits?

The appeal of Learning Credits lies in their flexibility, efficiency, and ability to support organizational goals. Here’s why more and more companies are turning to this model:

• Budget Management: Learning Credits help manage training budgets, allowing organizations to purchase credits in bulk and allocate them based on department or employee needs. They are also particularly useful for customers who need to utilize unspent budgets at the end of a fiscal year, as they can purchase these credits to ensure the budget does not lapse. Siemens offers the ability to reserve training budgets at the beginning of the year or use remaining credits at the end, ensuring cost-effective planning.
• Cost-Efficiency: By pre-purchasing Learning Credits, organizations can effectively manage their training budget and potentially save on training costs.
• Flexibility in Learning: Learning Credits give employees access to various types of training, from live sessions and certifications to self-paced courses. This empowers individuals to choose the type of learning that fits their schedule and role, making it easier for everyone to pursue relevant education.
• Ease of Management: Learning Credits simplify the administrative process of enrolling in training courses, making it easier for both individuals and organizations to manage their training.
• Simplified Administration: Instead of managing multiple training subscriptions and registrations, Learning Credits streamline the process: Employees can easily redeem credits for courses, and administrators can track usage in real-time, reducing the administrative burden on P&O departments. They also allow companies to track and manage their learning credit balance, providing transparency and ease of management.
• Enhanced Employee Engagement: Offering employees the ability to choose their learning style fosters a sense of ownership over their development.

How to Implement Learning Credits in Your Organization

Let’s walk through how a company successfully implemented Learning Credits to boost training and development across teams.

Step 1: Assess Training Needs

Before purchasing Learning Credits, a manufacturing organization conducted a thorough skills gap analysis across their departments. This helped them identify areas where training was most needed for employees  on new CAD software and automation tools.

Step 2: Partner with a Learning Provider (e.g., Siemens Xcelerator Academy)

Organization then chose Siemens Xcelerator Academy, which offered a wide range of training programs tailored to their needs. Siemens provided industry-specific courses for NX and automation.

Step 3: Purchase and Allocate Learning Credits

Based on the training needs, manufacturing organization purchased Learning Credits in bulk and did simple allocation:

• 800 credits for Learning Membership
• 1000 credits for Live Training
• 500 credits for Certification

Step 4: Empower Employees to Choose and Complete Training

Organization internal team distributed the credits to employees based on their training needs. Employees, like John, could use their credits for a live CAD training session and certification, while his colleague Sarah from the IT department used her credits to take a self-paced course. They requested this directly from Siemens Xcelerartor Academy page from Browse and Buys section.

Step 5: Monitor and Evaluate Progress

The internal team then tracked the usage of Learning Credits and evaluated the success of the training. Employees gave positive feedback on the quality of courses, and performance indicators such as productivity and customer satisfaction improved. For example, after taking the CAD training, John became 20% more efficient in his design work and certification helping him validate his skills. Similarly, Sarah’s automation training helped the IT team strengthen the company’s automation.

Step 6: Optimize and Scale

Based on the successful implementation, manufacturing organization decided to scale the program for the upcoming year. They purchased more credits for engineering and support teams to begin expanding into new areas like advance design and modelling.

If you’re looking to invest in your workforce’s growth, follow in the footsteps of Sarah and John!

Ensure your workforce remains skilled, agile, and ready for the future with Siemens Xcelerator Academy training through Learning Credits: a powerful, adaptable, and cost-effective solution.

Are you ready to transform your organization’s learning culture and empower your teams to succeed?

With Learning Credits, you can.

Authors: Ifthekar Mulla, Cristiana Cerrato Accomazzo