The pilot project, which kicked off in mid February 2025, brings together 16 handpicked executives, many from JSE-listed companies. “We selected one company per sector from our Gibs client base and also invited some of the Sector Education and Training Authorities, creating an intimate, high-level cohort,” says Lorna Phipps, Gibs head of sales enablement.

The blended learning programme comprises a suite of tailored workshops (mostly in-person at Gibs’ Illovo campus in Johannesburg), as well as executive education sessions, coaching, and collaborative research initiatives. It’s designed to meet the unique needs of African businesses while connecting participants to EFMD’s expansive global network and learning impact certification.

“The L&D spend of these organisations amounts to millions of rands, so for maximum impact and return on investment, it’s crucial to strengthen the link between their corporate learning function and business outcome,” says Martin Moehrle, director of corporate services at EFMD Global. To underline the need for stronger learning impact, he refers to CEO research by PwC, Deloitte and others that revealed concerns about the widening skills gap and whether internal learning functions would be able to close this gap fast enough. “The Gibs | EFMD programme aims to improve the participants’ ability to synchronise their learning strategy with their business strategy – in any context, industry and type of organisation,” says Moehrle.

A central focus of the programme lies on striving for LIFT (Learning Impact for Today and Tomorrow) certification. EFMD has developed this certification using a design thinking approach, which requires considering all aspects of a learning intervention and its impact before embarking on its design and implementation.

At the end of the learning impact journey, each participant will be encouraged to showcase at least one data-backed use case that demonstrates the measurable impact of their internal learning function on learners, their organisation, and society.