DWP
The Department for Work and Pensions
the largest department in the civil service
Introduction
In 2004 the DWP decided to use technology to improve the training of staff responsible for the payment of social security benefits. Their aim was to lessen the cost and time it took to train new recruits while also creating a more engaging, and flexible, training experience to reduce drop-out.
An initial solution proved ineffective: e-learning modules outsourced to different suppliers had to be repeatedly passed back and forth until they matched the DWP\'s exact requirements.
Solution
XOR developed an ambitious solution to the DWP\'s problem. Our innovative "Emulation Toolkit" provides a suite of browser based applications that allow emulations to be easily constructed and amended by non-technical users.
Trainees then experience a direct emulation of the real job tasks they will be required to perform on their computers. This allows them to be upskilled in a safe but wholly authentic environment. Furthermore, XOR\'s versatile toolkit affords DWP trainers full control over the authoring of the emulation scenarios.
Outcomes
The benefits to DWP have been immediate. The time taken for new recruits to become fully trained has dropped from 1,200 to 350 hours.
Savings have been made on trainers and materials, with the ability to develop and maintain e-learning in-house also eliminating the need for costly external suppliers.
