Enabling the 70-20-10 Learning Model Through Learning Technology
Business environments are evolving faster than ever, driven by AI adoption, automation, and shifting workforce expectations. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 39% of workers’ core skills are expected to change by 2030. Meanwhile, the ETHRWorld Global Learning & Skilling Report 2025 shows that 58% of L&D leaders face widening skills gaps and challenges with AI adoption.
Against this backdrop, the 70-20-10 learning model provides a proven approach to accelerating capability building:
- 70% of learning occurs on the job through experience
- 20% through social interactions such as mentoring and collaboration
- 10% through structured, formal programs
For organizations, the challenge is no longer whether employees learn this way, it’s how to make the 70 and 20 more deliberate, scalable, and measurable with the help of modern learning technology.
Modernizing the 70%: Experiential Learning With Technology
Learning by Doing, Without the Risk
On-the-job learning drives growth but often leads to inconsistent outcomes. For example, when new bank tellers complete their induction (the 10%), their real learning curve happens at the counter, where performance depends heavily on individual mistakes and experiences.
NIIT addresses this challenge through Critical Mistake Analysis (CMA). This methodology designs programs that simulate real-world errors learners are likely to make, in a safe training environment. By practicing mistakes before they happen in live situations, employees learn faster, reduce costly errors, and develop more consistent performance across similar roles.
Tools That Support Experiential Learning
- Simulations and scenario-based training to recreate real-world challenges
- Performance support tools embedded into workflows for just-in-time learning
- Learning analytics to track patterns and address gaps early
Amplifying the 20%: Social & Collaborative Learning in Today’s Workplace
Building Social Learning Ecosystems
Social learning is powerful but often left to happen organically. With the right technology and design, it can be structured and scaled.
For example, NIIT worked with a leading bank to implement a WIKI-style internal network that encouraged employees to document processes and share insights. By seeding the right conversations, NIIT helped transform the platform into a living, collaborative knowledge base rather than a passive repository.
Structured Approaches to Social Learning
- Case studies and role plays embedded into daily work cycles
- Facilitated group discussions (e.g., Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats)
- Mentorship programs with digital tools to track and guide relationships
These interventions ensure the 20% is not left to chance but actively designed for impact.
Why the 10% Formal Learning Still Matters
While experiential and social learning dominate, formal training still plays a critical role in building baseline knowledge, ensuring compliance, and introducing disruptive new skills.
NIIT enhances the effectiveness of formal learning through:
- Scenario-driven compliance programs that make regulations tangible
- Microlearning modules for quick reference during work
- Blended delivery models combining self-paced learning with instructor-led training
How Learning Technology Enables Integration of 70-20-10
The most effective learning ecosystems are those where technology ties all three components together:
| Component | Technology / Practice | What It Enables |
| Experiential (70%) | Virtual simulations, CMA-based design, performance support | Safe practice, consistent outcomes, reduced reliance on error-based live learning |
| Social (20%) | Collaboration platforms, WIKI-style networks, mentorship tools | Knowledge sharing, feedback loops, stronger communities |
| Formal (10%) | LMS/LXP with AI personalization, blended programs, microlearning | Scalable delivery, compliance, consistent baseline skills |
Real-World Example: Oil and Gas Compliance Training
A global oil and gas company partnered with NIIT to strengthen compliance across a diverse workforce. The program included:
- Experiential simulations built with NIIT’s Critical Mistake Analysis methodology
- Social learning via Yammer, where employees formed communities to share insights and questions
- Formal modules for standard compliance knowledge
This holistic design not only reduced compliance risks but also encouraged peer learning and ensured a consistent understanding of responsibilities across regions.
Expert View on 70-20-10
Charles Jennings and Vivian Heijnen, co-founders of the 70-20-10 Institute, emphasize:
“Our view of 70:20:10 is as an evolving new approach rather than a single solution. It embraces techniques such as performance support, working with exemplary performers, social learning, re-designing work processes, and other levers. When applied well, 70:20:10 will enable more effective and efficient ways for building high performance faster than the speed of business.”
Key Takeaways for L&D Leaders
- Invest beyond the 10%: focus on experiential and social learning to drive real capability.
- Leverage methodologies like CMA to make on-the-job learning safer and more consistent.
- Design intentional social learning through platforms and guided practices.
- Integrate all three components using technology for seamless learning delivery.
By modernizing the 70-20-10 model with the right learning technology and proven NIIT methodologies, organizations can transform informal learning into structured, measurable growth, building resilient, high-performing teams ready for the challenges of 2025 and beyond.