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Space design is likely to
change
Since the turn of the millennium there
has been an increase in both the
number and type of mobile devices
used by office workers within the
workplace (laptops, phones, tablets,
etc.). As the EdTech sector becomes
more refined, workplace training is
increasingly being undertaken on all of
these devices, whether the employee
in question is in or out of the office.
This rise in asynchronous learning
is likely to impact the design of the
workspace, with a ‘decentralised’ co-
working style of office layout likely to
be preferred by corporate occupiers
and their employees.
J
Corporate Real Estate
occupiers will experience
cost efficiencies
As virtual ‘e-learning’ methods
(MOOCs, gamification, A.I., Virtual
Reality etc.) are increasingly being
adopted for workplace training, as
well as being utilised on multiple
mobile devices, there is no longer a
requirement for bricks and mortar
training rooms and in-house ‘training
staff.’ This is likely to provide
substantial cost saving opportunities
for corporate occupiers in regards
to both their real estate and human
resource management.
J
Employees will experience
increased autonomy over
job-related training
EdTech provides employees the
opportunity to personalise their
workplace training. Learning/training in
the workplace can now be tailored to
an employee’s preferred learning style
in addition to their job position and
rank. For example, if the employee is
an interactive learner they can choose
to ‘gamify’ their training, whilst they
also have the option to choose the
pace of their learning. However, most
importantly the technology available to
corporate firms allow their employees
to choose the nature of their training
in terms of content/topic, and with
this power to effectively ‘guide’ their
own training employees themselves
have greater control over the future
direction of their careers. The increased
autonomy over workplace training will
be a key factor in increasing employee
satisfaction.
J
Opportunities to create
value by interpreting big
data
EdTech provides occupiers with
greater access to (and more accurate
analysis of) data associated with
the achievements, progress and
nature of their employees training.
This allows them to adapt/influence
the training of particular employees
if knowledge gaps are identified.
Companies will also be able to
utilise learning data to benchmark
employees against a number of
criteria. In addition, EdTech could
provide opportunities to engage with
the Strategic Consulting teams – e.g.
when undertaking locational analysis,
it would be theoretically possible
to identify where the best talent is
based geographically based on their
use of technologies in the education
process.
Is it just the new buzz word or something that demands attention?
EdTech is something that demands attention – it is not replacing the educational process but rather the use of
technology to enhance the delivery of this process. The concept is strongly linked with the rise in Fintech (use of
technology in banking services) as like Fintech, EdTech reveals modern societies’ demand for innovation and digital
services – like all aspects of our life (healthcare, fashion, etc.) we want things to be made easier, more accessible and
instantaneous. Nothing is left untouched by the current digital revolution.
J
Increased investment into
EdTech business start-ups
EdTech start-up firms are proving to
be a safe investment due to the fact
that the education market, unlike the
financial markets, are sheltered from
many of the pressures associated
with the broader economic/political
landscape. As a result, we are likely to
see a mirroring of the FinTech start-up
phenomenon, with plenty of EdTech
firms securing investment and seeking
to acquire office space in the ‘tech
districts’ of major global cities.
J
Impact on schools/teaching
Craig Cassell, a Cushman & Wakefield
specialist who works with education-
sector clients, is observing the profound
impact Edtech has had on schools and
universities. He has seen EdTech provide
the leading innovations in content,
curriculum and platform delivery
to students, all of which is helping
students better prepare themselves for
the workforce. Although the impact
of EdTech on real estate belonging to
educational institutions remains nominal,
in as little as five years traditional lecture
halls could be non-existent. Schools and
universities will have to learn and adapt
to successfully negotiate these changes.
How will the growth of EdTech
impact the Corporate Real
Estate Industry?
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