Issue link: https://resource.opensesame.com/i/1474251
Note: text for the word cloud was changed to lower case, and spelling corrected and made consistent. The words 'learning', 'L&D' and 'getting' were removed and the word list and cloud then automatically generated. The challenges ahead The view of challenges in 2022 For the first time this year, respondents could reply in free text to an optional question 'What is your biggest L&D challenge in 2022?' Some 40% of respondents, 1,397 people, chose to reply in a total of 16,827 words. Their replies are reflected in this word cloud. The cloud demonstrates that L&D wants to deliver 'training' (99 mentions) for the 'business' (98) but that 'time' (89) is clearly an issue. So too, possibly are 'people' (80) when build- ing 'skills' (73) in a 'hybrid' (73) or 'online' (66) environment. Beyond looking at individual words, we categorised about 80% of the answers into 16 groups, with 66% of those answers falling into these five categories: Learner engagement (17%) Stakeholder enthusiasm (15%) Going or staying digital/hybrid (15%) Technology (11%) Budget and resources (11%) Donald H Taylor, Global Sentiment Survey 2022 16 It was a privilege to read the comments and hear directly about the challenges faced by practitioners as they approached a new year of L&D. Some comments spoke of the need to keep a level head during a period of change, such as: 'Avoiding the next new shiny thing until it becomes proved and established', or simply the single word 'focus' which was repeated twice. The 87 single word answers probably best reflect the concise, heart-felt feedback that the survey is designed to elicit, and one theme dominated the single word answers: 17 of them were a variation on 'budget', 'finances', 'funding' and 'resources'. None of the other categories of answers came close to this level of immediate feedback. Respondents' answers did not vary significantly according to workforce cohort, and geography correlated only slightly to perceived challenge: UK respondents were slightly more likely to pinpoint engagement as an issue, while those in Europe or North America were more likely to focus on technology. The single reply that probably best summed up the entire pool of responses came from North America: 'Keeping everyone sane!'