by Liana Volpe

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the public workforce system is working to expand its virtual operations and public-facing offerings to accommodate the ongoing need and demand for high-quality virtual assistance. In order to ensure frontline staff and customer safety, local workforce areas can consider deploying text-based learning course technology. A text-based learning course is a learning module that is conducted via text message and often employs mixed media for course delivery, enlisting text, images, videos, and audio to teach short lessons. This service delivery mechanism offers customers a pathway to learn and participate from the safety of their own homes and on devices a majority of customers use. This technology could enable local workforce areas to:

• More easily reach customers where they are. 
• Remove barriers to participation for customers, such as transportation and child care. 
• Expand internal capacity through new means of customer communication.  

Local workforce areas can consider how they can adapt their existing text message technology to deliver learning course materials or consider the two technologies mentioned below, which are specifically designed for text-based course delivery. Readers should note that the Heldrich Center is not endorsing either of these proprietary products.

• Arist is a text-based platform that allows users to create remote-friendly courses via text message. The technology can also be integrated with common social media platforms, further expanding potential customer reach.  
• ConveYour is a text-based platform that utilizes microlearning. Users can create training modules and gamify exercises to engage customers in the course material. The technology engages social learning techniques to create community amongst learners. 

For more details about these products’ features, benefits, and pricing, read our latest brief. 

Overall, text-based course technology can enable local workforce areas to seamlessly distribute learning course materials to customers in an accessible format via text message. As the need for social distancing and safety measures continues, text-based learning technology may be of great help in reaching customers and job seekers in a new and innovative way.