About LAS
LAS is an award-winning provider of elearning consultancy, design, development and training services in the UK and internationally.
Established in 2005 as LearningAge Solutions, we work with some of the best known organisations in the world to boost their performance through the innovative use of learning technologies. Working in partnership with our customers, we draw on proven principles from human behaviour, how people learn and how the brain works to create impactful digital learning solutions with real return on investment.
About Tess Robinson
Tess is a director of LAS. She has worked in a learning environment for over twenty years. First, as a senior manager in universities, moving into digital learning ten years ago.
6 reasons why learning is the answer to surviving the polycrisis
By Tess Robinson
Posted 10 April 2025
One of my favourite teenage memories is when, on a German exchange with school, we took the ferry across the English Channel in the middle of a storm. The crew of the ferry optimistically staged a disco and we all valiantly tried to dance whilst staggering and sliding down the floor from one side to the other. It was hilarious. This image of us slipping and sliding all over the place and attempting to conduct business as usual, whilst being in the grip of extreme forces beyond our control, for some reason, keeps popping into my head recently. It’s perhaps a good metaphor (without the hilarity) for how everyone feels about the world we’re all experiencing today.
The last few years have been quite a ride for organisations. Often called a “polycrisis”—a situation where multiple crises, like economic instability, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and technological disruptions, collide and amplify one another. It’s no longer enough to react to one challenge at a time; organisations need to be prepared for a constantly shifting landscape and learning is critical to that.
Organisations who invest in learning now, in these difficult times, instead of seeing it as a ‘nice-to-have’ that they can cut to make cost-savings, will be the ones who flourish in the polycrisis and build a sustainable future. Here’s why…
- Building resilience to weather the storm
When crises pile on top of each other, resilience becomes the key to survival. PwC’s Global Crisis and Resilience Survey found that 89% of business leaders see resilience as essential for long-term success. What builds resilience? Learning does. By investing in learning, organisations can help their people anticipate risks, adapt quickly, and recover stronger. Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about thriving in uncertainty. Learning equips people with the tools and mindset to stay agile when the unexpected happens. - Sparking innovation when it’s needed most
Polycrises often demand creative solutions to problems we’ve never faced before. Learning can encourage employees to think differently, collaborate across teams, and experiment with new ideas. It can equip people to be able to adapt at speed to create solutions for interconnected challenges together. By fostering skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and systems-based problem-solving, innovation learning enables organisations to anticipate risks, seize opportunities amidst uncertainty and pivot with confidence if necessary. - Making better decisions in complex situations
In a polycrisis, decisions aren’t black and white—they’re layered with complexity. Leaders need to understand how one issue might cascade into another and how their choices today could impact tomorrow. Continuous learning helps leaders practice and sharpen their critical thinking skills and make smarter decisions under pressure. It also allows teams to reflect on what’s working (and what isn’t), so they can improve their strategies in real time. - Being ready for what’s next
The World Economic Forum has warned that volatility, whether economic, environmental, or geopolitical, will likely define the next decade. Businesses that prioritise learning are better equipped to adapt to these changes because they’re always building new skills and staying ahead of emerging trends. - Supporting sustainability and inclusivity
In a polycrisis, businesses can’t just focus on profits, they also need to think about their role in society. Learning plays a big part here by helping organisations address issues like sustainability and inclusivity. For example, training employees on topics like climate action or unconscious bias not only makes businesses more socially responsible, but also helps them tap into diverse perspectives for solving those big challenges. - Collaborating across boundaries
No organisation can tackle the polycrisis alone, it requires collaboration across industries, sectors and countries. Learning can foster collaboration by breaking down silos and encouraging knowledge-sharing across teams, departments, partners and even competitors. Businesses that embrace collaboration and collaborative learning will be well positioned to tackle these interconnected challenges.
In a world of so many overlapping crises, learning isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s the foundation for resilience, innovation, and long-term success. Organisations that invest in learning to empower their teams to adapt faster, think creatively, and work together more effectively to solve complex problems will be the ones who succeed.
As Josh Bersin put it during Covid: “We are going to learn our way out of this crisis.” And he’s right, because when organisations make learning a priority, they’re not just preparing for the next crisis; they’re building a future where they can thrive no matter what comes their way.
