While many companies are merely concerned with the productivity of their employees, for others it is the other way around. Recognising that "a happy employee is a productive one" and being big on the technology sphere – du decided to offer its employees and their families free e-learning courses.
“We used to offer quality training to our employees here in the premises,“ says Ibrahim Nassir, the chief human capital officer at du.” We saw the opportunity that we can actually go further and provide learning to their spouses and children.”
The courses – offered by Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-university, which is certified by The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in the UAE – focus on business, language and academic courses.
In the business segment alone, there are 600 courses on offer including English writing, communication skills, interpersonal skills and office skills.
Meanwhile, around 200 language programmes are offered in both English and Arabic such as spoken Arabic, professional Arabic and grammar and for school students, courses in a variety of academic subjects for both primary and secondary school pupils.
“The school courses are designed in a very nice way. It won’t be exactly the same curriculum that is used by say the American school in the UAE,” says Mr Nassir, “but it’s supportive and additional. It will help them improve their scores.”
The programme, introduced last December, is accessed via home computer, office computer, or even a smartphone or a tablet. This offers the freedom to study "on the go" or at the employee's convenience.
Du did not disclose how much it invested in the scheme.
Mumtaz Hussain, the senior director, training and career development human resources, says the programme offers the perfect replacement to private tutoring for his 15-year-old son.
“My eldest son is now doing GCSEs, I was thinking of getting him a tutor,” says Mr Hussain, who has lived in the UAE for eight years. “I’ve started rethinking now that I have access to this system because I’ve seen how the content is designed; It’s very interactive and it’s very much the way he wants to do it for his age.”
Mr Hussain adds that the online lessons offer a different way to explain concepts already learnt in class, which might have been previously incomprehensible to a student.
Two month’s after the programme’s introduction, demand from employees has increased. Out of du’s 4,550 employees, about 700 have asked for the licence to access the courses.
The number is expected to reach 1,600 by March, Mr Nassir says.
Employees can request a token or a password to access the courses and then sign in using their Facebook account or any other social media. If they don't have a social media presence, they can sign for an account at the university's website.
Anthony Roper, a senior programme manager at du and a user of the e-learning courses himself, is currently studying business model planning. Mr Roper, who has worked for du for over six years, says the course has helped him to learn about cash flows and finance.
“The choice is great. You can really choose your own pace. You are in control. We practice things and get to do quizzes,” says Mr Roper. “When you are learning it’s not what you are getting right that matters. It’s usually what you are getting wrong. That’s the gap and these courses focus on that.”
Despite being online, the courses are highly interactive. During the programme, a student can correspond with tutors online, have access to the professor, and discuss topics with his peers, adds Mr Roper.
Human resources experts highlight the importance of investing in the learning of employees.
“Education plays a huge part in letting employees stay at a job,” says Suha Mardelli, the human resources director at Bayt.com. “Salary is important, but it’s not the whole part of the puzzle.”
Ms Mardelli adds that people usually leave their jobs because they want more learning opportunities.
“They can say it in different way, but the message is the same. They are usually seeking growth opportunities,” she adds.
selgazzar@thenational.ae
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