Anthony Greco of APERIAN GLOBAL observed in his article Guiding the Hand of Self-Directed Learners for ATD that most organizations simultaneously employ upwards of five generations of workers.  The older generations may have learned job skills formally prior to employment.  In fact their formal training may have included additional skills "just-in-case” they were ever needed.

Younger generations are more self directed and prefer to learn informally on the job with "just-in-time” training.  Can you GOOGLE it?  Can you learn it on YOUTUBE?

As the nature of the labor pool continues to evolve from just-in-case to just-in-time training, new employees must be able to direct their own learning.  What should be learned?  How can it be learned?  To what level of expertise?  What should NOT be learned, maybe because it’s obsolete?  To train self-directed learners, see Learning on the Job lesson at www.lesson-up.net.