Whitbread gets the right blend for training: E-learning combined with classroom teaching benefits company and employees

Author：

ISSN： 0967-0734

Source： Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol.16, Iss.7, 2008-10, pp. : 18-20

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Abstract

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the training system adopted at Whitbread, which manages businesses in the hotel, restaurant and coffee-shop sectors, and employs 35,000 people to serve the 11 million customers who each month visit one of its 1,400 outlets across the UK. Design/methodology/approach - The paper details the reasons for blending e-learning and classroom-based learning, and the benefits for employees and the company. Findings - The paper reveals that using the tablet PC provides a flexible learning environment. The technology is mobile, allowing employees to maximize their productivity during working hours. Since implementation of the solution four years ago, more than 98,000 e-learning courses have been completed, which has culminated in 4,587 days or 12.6 years of learning. Classroom-based learning, allowing the employees to work on a live till system with a trained tutor, blended with e-learning, enables the students to learn in both a practical and theoretical manner. For Whitbread, the training ensures that staff are legally compliant in the hospitality sector. Practical implications - The paper contends that trainees' confidence levels at the end of the training are significantly increased. Originality/value - The paper describes how, in order to cater for the large number of nationalities Whitbread employs, the housekeeping course was designed in nine languages. The course is highly multimedia-oriented, including video, voice-over and animation.