20-07-2010 | Leicester chosen to deliver new service: learndirect boosts the nation’s skills from Colton Square
National training organisation learndirect has opened a new learner service centre at the Colton Square development in Leicester city centre.
The centre is at the heart of learndirect's strategy to enable more people throughout the country access learning. Using the very latest in telephony and web technologies, the staff will be supporting and motivating people across England to succeed with their online courses and get qualifications.
Approximately 90 people currently work in the centre and learndirect expects in the next 12 months another 200 jobs will be created as more and more learners access the support centre to improve their skills.
Ten years ago learndirect was set up to give adults a new way to learn - using the internet to deliver courses and centres with staff available to support learners.
Now, using the Colton Square centre, learndirect is extending choice to learners by offering them the opportunity to get personalised support for their learning remotely via telephones, the web or mobile devices.
Gill Craven, Director of Service Operations at learndirect, said: "Our move into Colton Square is the next evolution of technology-led learning for us. Despite helping more than 150,000 learners every year to achieve their goals, learndirect recognised the demand from people who want even more flexibility.
"Research showed we needed to respond to our learners needs not only to learn at a pace to suit them, but also from home 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the current climate people have to keep improving their skills and we want to make it easy for learning to fit around their lives. With Colton Square we are leading the way in supporting the government's strategy to capitalise on digital technology to improve services at a reduced cost to the taxpayer."
Tracey White, from Loughborough, has already been using the new service to help improve her maths and English. She recently won the Outstanding Learner Award at the East Midlands learndirect Achievement Awards 2010. She won after showing huge courage and commitment after losing her memory in a car accident.
She said: "learndirect has given me back my confidence, especially my tutor. After I lost my memory, I wasn't confident about learning but Ayshah helped me and now I am doing a primary school teaching assistant qualification."
In the next couple of months learndirect will be undertaking a recruitment drive to find new staff for the centre. These will include learning support practitioners and customer service advisers who will work with learners to assess their needs and provide them with support, via the telephone and the web to achieve their learning goals. Anyone interested in finding out more should visit: www.jobtrain.co.uk/ufi/Vacancies
People wanting to find out more about learning at home with remote support can visit: www.learndirect.co.uk/learnwithus
Comments from partners working with learndirect on Colton Square
Prospect Leicestershire worked with learndirect to find the right location for the new centre. Executive chairman Nick Carter explained: "We are very pleased to have been able to help learndirect identify the right place for their expansion and bring new jobs to the city. Their new base in Colton Square is a great example of the quality office space we need in order to attract more and better jobs to Leicester. Pankaj Mistry, our lead on this project, is already talking to learndirect about assistance with training and recruitment in the future."
Leader of Leicester City Council, Cllr Veejay Patel, said: "Leicester is an established university city, but it's now becoming a hub for online learning too. People studying all around the country will now be getting online support from staff working in the heart of Leicester. I'm delighted that learndirect have expanded their base in Leicester and warmly welcome the new jobs and opportunities that will be created for local people."
Rob Cooper from Jobcentre Plus in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire said "This is an exciting opportunity and Jobcentre Plus are delighted to be helping learndirect find the people they need."
James Raven, Development Director at Goodman, the developer behind Colton Square, said: "We are delighted to welcome learndirect to Colton Square. The organisation is one of the region's leading employers and their relocation here is a ringing endorsement for the development, which is rapidly emerging as a vibrant new business location in Leicester's regeneration masterplan."
Matthew Robertson from King Sturge, agent representing learndirect commented: "We were delighted to work with learndirect to secure this significant letting for the Leicester market. The high quality, well located office accommodation provides an excellent working and training environment, which was ideal for the service being offered by learndirect."
Richard Turner, Associate Director of Claremont, the company used to design the interior, said: "We are delighted with the project we have delivered for learndirect at their Leicester contact centre. Our design and delivery teams worked very closely with the learndirect team and the end result is testament to the professionalism and determination of all. We look forward to working together again in the future"
Paul Butcher, Managing Director at Damovo UK, the technology supplier at Colton Square, said: "We are pleased to be helping learndirect to broaden the availability of its services. learndirect has always provided an unparalleled range of courses and this latest development will enable learndirect to offer true multi-channel communication to both current and prospective learners."
Notes to editors:
• Journalists and film crews are invited to visit the centre for filming and interviews on Tuesday, 20 July between 9.15am and 11.15am. One Colton Square, Leicester, LE1 1QH
• For more information please contact the learndirect press office: 0114 291 5680 / 07979 603 381 (out of hours)
Source: Learn Direct, 20/6/10
