No time to learn? Avans University of Applied Sciences found the perfect solution

Learning and development is an important theme at Avans University of Applied Sciences. But how do you ensure that employees also have access to relevant content, in a way that fits into their busy workday?

In collaboration with SkillsTown, Avans made personal development and vitality easily accessible and flexible for all employees. The result? High engagement, measurable impact, and a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Curious how Avans approached this? Read the customer case.

Why lifelong learning is central at Avans

Avans University of Applied Sciences is a higher education institution in the south of the Netherlands. Its mission is to educate agile and sustainable professionals who actively contribute to the future. Lifelong development is a key priority within Avans. The organisation operates based on three core values: ambitious, personal, and socially engaged.

To better support its employees, Avans wanted to enrich its existing learning offering with accessible and relevant content focused on personal development and vitality. In collaboration with SkillsTown, a pilot was launched to explore whether online learning would provide the right solution. That collaboration quickly grew into a major success.

How do you make personal development accessible to everyone?

Avans had long wanted to increase its focus on personal development and vitality within its learning and development offering. These themes are particularly important for employees’ well-being and day-to-day functioning. The key challenge was: how do we offer accessible, high-quality content that meets employees’ needs at any moment, in their own time and at their own pace?

There was also a practical consideration: developing proprietary content was too costly. Traditional multi-day training programmes were expensive and not always compatible with employees’ workload or preferences. There was a clear need for a flexible, scalable, and financially sustainable alternative.

“We wanted to make learning more accessible. Employees should be able to learn whenever and wherever they want, without barriers or complicated processes.”

Rob van den Goorbergh, Career Coach

“Previously, we offered three- or four-day training programmes. That was intensive and expensive. Now, with SkillsTown, we have a much more affordable and flexible solution.”

Koen Vinkenvleugel, Career Coach

The solution: flexible and accessible learning for everyone

To support employees’ development needs in an accessible way, Avans chose to collaborate with SkillsTown. The approach below shows how this solution was rolled out in practice.

• Starting with a focused pilot: In December 2023, Avans launched a pilot in collaboration with SkillsTown. The focus was on two key themes: personal development and vitality & well-being.
• Access for 500 employees: In the first phase, 500 licences were made available. Employees gained one-click access to the full SkillsTown offering, including e-learning modules, videos, and microlearning. The learning platform was integrated into Avans’ existing offering and proved immediately accessible and user-friendly.
• Fully aligned with 70-20-10: The approach aligned perfectly with Avans’ 70-20-10 learning principle: 70% learning on the job, 20% learning from and with colleagues, and 10% through formal training. SkillsTown provided a practical and flexible complement to this model.
• From classroom to continuous learning: Where previously multi-day classroom training was required, Avans now uses a low-threshold and scalable online platform. Employees can learn in their own time and at their own pace, aligned with their needs and workload.

The result: from pilot to organisation-wide platform

The successful pilot quickly evolved into a widely supported learning solution within Avans. The results below show how the platform has been embedded in the organisation.

• Explosive growth in usage: Within one month of launch, the platform exceeded expectations. The target of at least 500 active users was easily surpassed, requiring Avans to create additional accounts. The platform is now available to all employees through unlimited licences.
• Learning at the right moment and pace: 62% of employees use the platform during working hours, while 24% choose to learn in their own time. Flexibility has proven to be a key success factor.
• High employee satisfaction: More than 60% of users are satisfied with the platform. Ease of use and relevance of content are frequently mentioned strengths. Accessibility, content relevance, and the ability to learn at one’s own time and pace are highly valued.
• Integrated into the existing offering: SkillsTown’s content is now fully integrated into Avans’ own learning portfolio. It has proven to be a valuable addition, particularly because the offering and communication align with current organisational themes.
• Development as a structural element: Online learning is now an integral part of Avans’ development culture. Personal development and vitality are no longer standalone initiatives but embedded in daily work.

Lifelong learning for everyone

The collaboration with SkillsTown aligns closely with Avans University of Applied Sciences’ long-term strategy: strengthening agility, sustainable employability, and personal growth for both students and employees. With this approach, Avans contributes to a culture where lifelong learning is also a natural part of the organisation itself.

The accessible learning solution enables every employee to develop in a way that fits their work and life.