The North Glamorgan NHS Trust is addressing some of the existing skills shortages with a pioneering approach to workforce training.
The Trust, which has over 3,000 staff, has devised an innovative training scheme using a combination of learning via the internet and traditional tutor-led courses. The benefits are an efficient system that saves time and money while meeting many training needs that have existed for many years.
The Trust’s training staff have developed course content relevant to the Trust’s needs and provided staff with online access. A number of these online courses have also been sourced from learndirect.
The Trust’s Head of Training and Development, Helen Thomas said: "We have approximately 3,300 employees across the Trust and we need to engage every one of those individuals in some kind of training and development. We deliver statutory, mandatory and personal development training programmes, covering a wide range of disciplines. Working on such a large scale, our training programmes must be cost-effective, time-efficient and easy to deliver in a way that fits around the duties and workload of individuals.
"Some of our training courses are compulsory for thousands of staff. In this instance a tutor led approach would take several years to roll out. E-learning enables us to post course content on a web page which can be accessed by staff at any time. E-learning packages are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and have the added advantage of being repeatable. A built in tracking system allows us to record and monitor the individual’s progress and electronically update training records on completion of the course. This blended approach to training and education enables us to provide a convenient and relatively inexpensive training programme without compromising the quality of delivery."
Head of learndirect in Wales, Jeff Greenidge said: "Investing in staff training is vital in all enterprises and the internet has made it easier, more convenient and cheaper than ever. E-learning with learndirect offers businesses high quality and flexible courses that can be followed without disrupting day to day duties.
"It is very encouraging to see Public Sector organisations recognising the potential of e-learning and utilising it both creatively and effectively. The North Glamorgan NHS Trust is setting an excellent example to such organisations throughout Wales with its pro-active approach."
