Union Assurance introduces innovative training system

Learn Easy is a blended learning system made available to each and every Union Assurance field staff and office staff.

Its roots began one year ago through the moodle programme that was available for employees. However the management realised the difficulties of the moodle programme and its non user friendly status and developed a customised IT platform with the partnership with JKCS to deliver Learn Easy to all the field staff and office staff.

“With a work force of 5,000 and counting, Union Assurance couldn’t continue the old training system. Despite having a dedicated training group, a training panel and a training centre, with such a vast number to contend there were difficulties in ensuring equal distribution of the training and managing costs. We used to send our employees for professional courses, enrol them at libraries and send them for external workshops and overseas training. Naturally providing this for 5,000 employees is no easy task. This is what prompted us to move into an International level training and knowledge based system, named Learn Easy,” said Suranjith Godagama, Assistant General Manager, Human Resource Development at Union Assurance.

The Learn Easy system is set to take over almost 70% of the training workload of the organisation. Through the blended learning environment it provides, employees are able to access the system anytime, anywhere and have access to various courses created by trained professionals which have been uploaded onto the system, the relevant reading material for these courses made available on the system’s digital library, videos and external links necessary and motivational material and much more.

The system provides an e-learning, workshop and case study based learning system and includes all other kinds of knowledge enhancing information that is useful for a person engaged in an industry that is fast becoming integrated.

Additionally the system is an exceedingly time and cost effective tool not only for the company but for the employees as well. The company certainly has invested a considerable amount to get the project underway, however this has a great long term return value as the system is geared for whatever change in demographics or size that the company goes through.

“At Union Assurance, IT is a pivotal part supporting business functionality to enhance and optimise operational our model.  We invest wisely on technology where it has created a benchmark for the industry. Some of the key benefits are effective use of time, which minimises need for travel, thereby reducing time and costs; improves productivity, as employees can engage in training anytime, anywhere and supports large distribution teams; improves consistency and effectiveness, as it facilitates consistency in training and collaboration and offers self learning and assessment capability,” added Ruwan Bakmedeniya, General Manager – IT, at Union Assurance.

Most employees are provided with a PC or Laptop or now even with a Galaxy Tab and field employees who have no access to computers will be able to access the system through the branch computers. Regional/branch wise training is given for those without computer/IT/system knowledge.

Furthermore each region/branch has a specialised person knowledgeable about the system training. Each course provided in the system has its own course manager who is responsible for the entire gamut of that course management.

Certain courses have online evaluation and exams on the system as well. Employees can sit for these exams at their leisure and managers are able to verify from the system which employees have completed which courses, their status in the course and whether or not they have passed the exams.

As there is a tendency with online exams for persons to collaborate and such, arrangements are being made to conduct some exams region wise at a set time with an invigilator present, but with the employees’ laptops as the exam mode.

“As time goes on, the system will be further enhanced and additions made to bring it even closer to International standards that it closely emulates even at present.

 The only way to provide customers with the best service is to ensure that we provide an excellent working environment and produce the best employees. Only such employees will in turn provide exceptional service to the customers,” concluded Godagama.