Epic and IDeA bring national e-learning network to local government

PRESS RELEASE
Issued: March 28, 2001

UK local authorities spend £500 million a year on staff development and training. A new national e-learning network operating on the peer-to-peer principle (best known from recent publicity around Napster) will be launched in the autumn, helping councils reduce training costs dramatically.

A joint venture between the local government Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) and Europe's leading e-learning company Epic Group plc, the system will provide the opportunity for the country's 400-plus councils to have instant access to e-learning packages produced by individual authorities.

"It can cost tens of thousands of pounds to produce one hour of e-learning material," says the IDeA's Head of Workforce Development Susan Biddle. "So it makes sense to let everyone know what's already out there and make it available across the country. It will avoid dozens of authorities' HR departments beavering away in isolation to re-invent the wheel."

The system will operate with two integrated software packages developed by Epic. Authoring software will enable each council to create their own e-learning content to place on the system. The peer-to-peer network will allow the user to access and download their own and other councils' library of content stored on the system.

The network software will also publish "consumer ratings and reviews" to guide users in choosing which packages to download and to help developers evolve and improve training materials in individual subject areas.

Susan says, "Local government is a big sector - a 1.8 million workforce with a huge bank of experience and knowledge. This project will help share that knowledge, spreading good practice staff training and development materials and techniques while cutting the massive cost of duplication. We believe this will have immeasurable value.

"The project is part of our remit to help local authorities modernise and improve their management processes. It will enable the sharing of training and staff development materials across the country, encourage the development of the best e-learning techniques and identification of the most useful material - making local government as efficient and effective as possible."

Epic CEO Donald Clark says, "We believe the power of peer-to-peer networking, combined with the development of learning and knowledge objects, will revolutionise learning. It provides an ideal way for learners within an organisation, or across organisations, to share learning and knowledge."

Many authorities are already exploring the potential of e-learning; those who have begun developing in-house solutions include Birmingham, Cambridge and Hampshire.

Rita Sammons, Hampshire County Council's Chief Personnel and Training Officer, thinks the project is fundamental to the sharing of best practice among local authorities: "We are totally committed to e-learning and the sharing of expertise through exploiting the Internet, and have been developing an on-line learning community which offers participants the opportunity to collaborate and interact electronically. As an extension of our work in Hampshire we're delighted to be involved with the IDeA and Epic on this project. It's at the leading edge in helping councils achieve Best Value and will move local government forward in sharing knowledge and learning throughout the country."

The IDeA will launch the system with around 15 hours of training courses -in topics of wide interest to the local authority community such as health and safety, project management, e-government and equal opportunities - and will add further material each year. Initially, to encourage contributions, access to the system will be free, but the IDeA are considering the later introduction of a nominal subscription fee to cover administrative costs.

ENDS

Contacts
Epic Group plc (www.epic.co.uk)
Donald Clark, CEO: 01273 728686, donaldc@epic.co.uk

IDeA: (www.idea.gov.uk)
Paul Bailey, Media and Public Affairs: 020 7296 6529 paul.bailey@idea.gov.uk
Susan Biddle: 020 7296 6578 susan.biddle@idea.gov.uk