Transforming Financial Services Training with an Integrated Learning System

Companies that invest in employee development generate increased revenue and retain more talent. Training and development is beneficial to both the company and its employees, but delivering those opportunities using a scalable training solution is equally important.  

Award-winning financial institution Ent Credit Union needed an integrated learning management system, emphasizing its goals to streamline training, boost impact, and make learning more accessible for employees.

Since adopting Canvas in 2022, Ent has achieved four key improvements to its financial services training. Each improvement reflects the long-term value Canvas can create for any organization seeking to enhance employee learning and development. 

1. Ent consolidated learning resources into one platform.

Online training programs can include everything from files and workbooks to assignments and quizzes. Putting all of these materials in one place is essential to creating accessible training experiences and eliminating barriers to learning. 

By using Canvas to simplify access to tools and resources, Ent created a more cohesive and consistent learning experience across teams. This helped minimize confusion and reduce knowledge gaps for approximately 1,500 employees.

As Ent training administrators discovered, using Canvas features to centralize training also guaranteed that employees could focus on learning and easily find the information they needed. The platform proved to be a navigable space where employees could maximize learning and development. 

2. Canvas’ interactive tools helped Ent make training more engaging and meaningful for employees.

Engagement is vital to effective training, especially for companies with distributed teams. One of Ent’s goals was to enable dispersed team members to learn in an environment that “could be simulated like the classroom.”  Canvas made that easy by featuring quizzes, videos, and other interactive tools designed to enhance learner engagement. Using interactive tools also increased the chance that employees would retain what they’d learned long after the training was done. 

In addition, Canvas’ cohort-based learning model helped Ent employees make training more meaningful by creating a sense of community. Through community-building and engagement, employees gained a deeper understanding of the training material and were more likely to put their training to use. Ultimately, cohort-based learning empowered Ent employees to collaborate and interact more effectively. 

3. Canvas’ flexibility allowed Ent to customize and expand its training programs as the organization grew.

As a company that embraced innovation, Ent needed a flexible system that could evolve as the company’s needs changed.

Canvas—a highly adaptable learning solution—allowed Ent training administrators to customize courses, evaluate learning using diverse assessment options, and integrate multiple plug-ins and tools, including Zoom. Using a customizable system ensured Ent could provide training that was just as agile as the rapidly changing financial services industry.  

Further, tailoring learning experiences through Canvas helped Ent reimagine employee development, boost innovation, and provide the flexibility needed to accommodate future growth, support diverse learning styles, and meet future challenges.  

4. With Canvas Credentials, Ent provided employees with clear paths to showcase skills and track learning achievements.

Canvas Credentials is a badging system that rewards learners for completing course requirements. Ent training administrators used this feature to easily track employee training progress and verify achievements. Canvas Credentials proved to be so useful that Director of Learning Innovation Marnie Gerkhardt called the solution “an easy win.”

More specifically, Canvas Credentials gave Ent employees a sense of control over their learning and allowed them to conveniently track progress. The feature could also motivate Ent employees with diverse learning styles to meet training milestones. 

To further support financial services training, Ent used Canvas Credentials to create reports about employee learning, which provided helpful insights to improve future training. 

Conclusion

When Ent chose Canvas as its learning management system, it selected a user-focused platform that felt intuitive and engaging for learners, instructors, and administrators. Canvas enabled Ent to cultivate a non-traditional learning environment that included innovative tools, resources, and features.

From there, the company used Canvas’ cohort-based learning, interactive tools, badging system, and seamless integration capabilities to build a comprehensive learning ecosystem. As a result, Ent has re-established a culture of learning and development and supported accessibility, engagement, and innovation. 

Next steps

By implementing training through Canvas, Ent has demonstrated a lasting commitment to employee growth and skills development. 

Moving forward, other companies prioritizing employee growth may find Canvas features helpful in developing accessible, engaging training programs. 

You can learn more about how Ent used Canvas Solutions to transform its financial services training by reading the full case study, which further highlights the company's mission to modernize employee learning.