European Social Fund in England

Improving customer service skills through e-learning

Customer service apprentices in Derbyshire are benefiting from a new pilot project offering an innovative package of support to improve their key skills.

The "Improving Customer Service" project targets those on work-based training programmes and is using £56K ESF funding to provide enhanced support to beneficiaries through e-learning, a specialist helpline, workshops and other on-line learning resources.

Alun Rowlands of Acorn Training, the company running the project, explains: "We often find that apprentices have opted for work-based training in preference to formal, academic style learning, perhaps because of previous negative experiences at school. They can be quite daunted at the prospect of passing key skills tests for their NVQs. Anything we can do to ensure help and assistance is available at the time when learners require it will be of benefit to the apprentices and therefore improve their achievement."

By providing additional support in a non-traditional way the project aims to overcome any fears about learning and help learners achieve their potential. The project offers an on-line forum facility on their website which will allow learners to access a customer service themed chat room where experiences can be shared and tutors can provide relevant, timely advice.

A key feature of the project is a holistic approach to gathering evidence for NVQ key skills assessments, with tutors and learners using on-line resource materials and techniques such as spider diagrams in their joint assessment planning to identify opportunities and maximise the use of workplace evidence.

Not all learners have access to home computers or the internet so the project will lend learners laptops where necessary. A dedicated telephone line is also available so that experienced tutors can offer assistance to learners when required.

The project, which is co-financed by Derbyshire LSC, has been awarded, began on 1st August and has got off to a good start. The first beneficiaries have joined the project and are already gaining from the on-line forum, laptop bank and the new assessment planning resources.

Sue Axbey of Derbyshire LSC says: "It is good to see ESF being used to facilitate some innovative approaches to learning. It is early days for the project but the progress so far is very encouraging".

For more information, please contact

Kerry Ferguson

Programme Development & Communications Manager

European Social Fund

E-mail:kerry.ferguson@goem.gsi.gov.uk