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Due to increasing recognition by industry that partnerships with universities can lead to more effective knowledge and skills acquisition and deployment, corporate learning programs are currently experiencing a resurgence of interest. Rethinking of corporations' approaches to what has traditionally been classed as 'training' has resulted in a new focus on learning and the adoption of philosophies that underlie the academic paradigm. This paper reports on two studies of collaboration between major international engineering corporations and an Australian university, the aim of which was to up-skill the workforce in response to changing markets.

The paper highlights the differences between the models of learning adopted in such collaboration and those in more conventional, university-based environments. The learning programs combine the ADDIE (analysis, design, develop, implement and evaluate) development and workplace learning models. Adaptations that have added value for industry partners and recommendations as to how these can be evolved to cope with change are discussed. The learning is contextualised by industry-based subject matter experts working in close collaboration with university experts and learning designers to develop programs that are reflective of current and future needs in the organisation.

Results derived from user feedback indicate that the learning programs are effectively aligned with the needs of the industry partners whilst simultaneously upholding academic ideals. In other words, it is possible to combine academic and more traditional approaches to develop corporate learning programs that satisfy requirements in the workplace. Emerging from the study, a new conceptual framework for the development of corporate learning is presented.

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