Training Top 100 Hall of Fame Outstanding Training Initiatives (September 2021)

Each year, Training magazine requires all Training Top 100 Hall of Famers to submit an Outstanding Training Initiative that is shared with our readers in a print or online-only issue. Here are the details of Deloitte’s integrated learning platform, Cura.

DELOITTE: CURA INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAM

Deloitte’s internal integrated learning platform, Cura, aims to further strengthen the organization’s culture of learning, and to increase the impact and value of the Learning and Development function as a key engine for performance—to be more agile and responsive in addressing what Deloitte professionals need to know and be able to do. Cura optimizes development, enabling point-of-need, on-demand, and social learning.

Cura has been deployed globally across all member firms, including Deloitte’s four primary businesses (Consulting, Tax, Advisory, and Audit & Assurance) and all internal functions, touching 375,000-plus learners.

Program Details

Provided by EdCast and available via desktop and a mobile app, Cura aggregates content from both internal and external sources to offer a rich library of rapidly expanding and updated information in a single location. Content is presented by topic in the form of videos, articles, white papers, performance support/job aids, podcasts, eLearning courses, templates, stories, testimonials, and recorded Webinars.

Cura content is organized by topic, viewed in playlists or through a “journey” that depicts content in a specific order to maximize learning. When beginning in Cura, a user can customize the content that is received by identifying areas of interest. Then— through artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities—Cura presents topics based on that input. A user can further define what is presented by selecting search filters, by following other users and thought leaders, and by joining topic-based groups. The more a learner uses Cura, the more the content development and curation occurs—aligned to user preferences and actions.

Reinforcement is enabled through other holistic development solutions such as virtual and in-person learning and on-the-job-development that collectively offer a blended experience to address multiple learning needs and outcomes.

Cura’s innovation lies in how it addresses the needs and preferences of the modern learner and reflects the future of development, represented by four defining attributes:

  • Content Personalization: Cura feeds users’ distinct interests and needs, fueled by the AI that presents content based on user preferences and actions.
  • Integration into the Flow: Cura empowers users to access the type and amount of content they need, and exactly when they need it during their work to help their performance.
  • The Three Cs: Cura users are expected to play all three roles of Consumer, Creator, and Collaborator, which creates a push-pull and enriched development experience.
  • Agency, Voice, and Choice: Cura gives users agency, empowering them to further own their development and fuel their continuous learning. It gives them a voice with how they choose to spend their time in Cura and what they engage in. And Cura gives them choice—the ability to decide where to feed their curiosity and build their knowledge.

Results

Based on qualitative data, Cura has:

  • Enabled automated, machine learning-driven content curation influenced by usage, likes, recommendations, and sharing, and has created user networks and thought leadership around hundreds of topics.
  • Simplified Deloitte’s learning ecosystem, reducing redundant or outdated content and channeling users toward a single source for digital assets.
  • Empowered users to take greater ownership of their development and helped accelerate learning, capability-building, and improved performance.

Additionally, Cura has resulted in a more balanced use of learning modalities that better aligns with content and learning needs. Fewer or shorter learning programs give Deloitte professionals more time back to focus on serving clients and doing their work. This has improved revenue through increased billable hours for external client-facing professionals. And costs have been avoided by not expending the same amount of resources associated with the previous levels of in-person learning.

Edited by Lorri Freifeld
Lorri Freifeld is the editor/publisher of Training magazine, owned by Lakewood Media Group. She writes on a number of topics, including talent management, training technology, and leadership development. She spearheads two awards programs: the Training APEX Awards and Emerging Training Leaders. A writer/editor for the last 30 years, she has held editing positions at a variety of publications and holds a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University.