Employers 'could use e-learning to support homeworkers'

Business leaders are likely to be turning to online learning in the new year to reinforce the support they offer their work-from-home employees.

This is after one executive - Tracie Burton of the Co-operative Personal Travel Advisors (CPTA) - revealed she is backing several major changes that are aiming to improve the performance of the company's homeworkers, Travel Weekly reports.

Since Ms Burton took on the role as head of the organisation, she has focused on enhancing six key areas within the CPTA, which are support, communication, training, incentives, public relations and ecommerce. She also attended her first conference as director of the firm, which she stated "was a great opportunity to talk to homeworkers and share the new initiatives".

Remote staff are now being provided with support packages that cover the computer hardware and software - such as laptops, routers and printers - needed to fulfil their tasks efficiently.

In addition, an e-learning portal entitled The Pulse has been launched to act as a hub for news and information on the travel industry, while it also shows links to other useful industry websites.

Ms Burton disclosed she is hoping the site will soon feature a chat function, so that agents can talk to other workers and suppliers.

"We needed to think about how we can communicate with the advisors; so many areas of business come down to communication," she was quoted as saying.

This news follows the Co-operative's recent announcement that it will be introducing a new digital training portal for employees who have to look after their relations outside of the workplace. As well as interactive guides and learning materials, the site will provide consultancy services to its ten per cent of 100,000 workers who are also unpaid carers.

Professionals who are interested in offering internet-assisted education to their employees may want to consider turning to an online learning provider like West Yorkshire-based firm Virtual College.

Alongside training in How to Manage Working Parents and Understanding the Role of the Manager, the institution supplies online solutions for those looking to take on apprentices.