The longer-term impact of the course has been shaped by individual opportunities for career development within the company. At the time of follow up interviews conducted in October 2006, Mike Swan and Gary Thompson had been promoted to the position of Works Supervisory Officer. Both employees expressed the view that the course had helped them prepare for their current job which involves extensive use of ICT in order to undertake risk assessments and deal with contractors.
Mike Swan had been given the opportunity to
undertake NVQ Level 2 course in IT. With no
prior experience of computers, the course had
been important in giving him the “confidence”
to work with computers and had allowed him
to progress to more advanced study. He was
supportive of the overall company approach
towards training: “the more training you do
then obviously helps with your appraisals and
pay and things like that.”
Whereas Mike Swan had previously not
attached much significance to the literacy
component of the course, he now felt that such
skills benefited his current job role: “I realise
that it was quite an important part … before I
wasn’t really writing too much, and now obviously
I use it a lot more, do more handwriting
as well as on the computer.”
Both employees expressed the view that the
course had boosted their confidence in dealing
with computers and had also encouraged them
to buy computers at home; both stressed the
value of the course in allowing them to help
their children with their homework. Although
Gary Thompson viewed the course as a “very
good step up”
, he expressed a more negative
view of the company’s motivations for running
the course:
“Since their training is very much to suit themselves, they send us on these courses and they get work done that they would normally have paid higher grades to do … so its beneficial to us but I think they get more out of it, and the other thing is with this company, they like their perception of investors in people, their little logos, etc., so I think its part of their plan but overall I think they get very good value out of what they put us on.”
The other employees had also taken on more responsibility, whilst undertaking the same job roles, as part of the company’s strategy of delegating more demanding work to lower-level employees. Undertaking the course and a willingness to undertake higher level tasks had allowed Ralph Welsey, born in 1953, to be positively assessed in his PDG (peer development group) which had led to a 5% pay increase. But he still felt disgruntled by his salary of £14,800 a year. The computer course had facilitated his capacity to take on increased administrative duties.
“It adds to the variety obviously its more interesting than sweeping up, but then you’ve got the thing going, at what point do you say I’m doing this additional work and I think I should be earning more and I’m not. And that’s going to start eating away, its not worth doing.”
Frustration on the part of some learners that increased responsibility had not been accompanied by increased pay and promotion opportunities was accompanied by a degree of perplexity over opportunities for further learning. Whereas Mike Swan had been offered further training in ICT Level this opportunity had not been offered to other employees.
From a management perspective the courses have been a success. By October 2006, 400 learners had completed the IT and literacy courses. The training manager claimed that:
“The course has been helpful in our efforts to make the workforce ‘feel as one’ so to speak. Previously … as part of the civil service … there was much more of a hierarchical structure … those at the top are skilled and then there is the rest. The courses have given people more confidence and opportunity to engage with computers. It has given them more flexibility. Previously there was much more of an ‘old culture’ and a hierarchy: ‘this is my job … this is what I do’. The courses have helped to ‘broaden people’s horizons … people are now more willing to take on new roles’.”