Last week, we launched the Science Museum Group’s (SMG) brand new Totara-based LMS, ‘skillslab’, after a tender was awarded in the summer and Totara was presented as a platform to help SMG achieve its goals of higher employee engagement.
SMG celebrates Britain’s scientific and technological developments which have resulted in culture change and improvements in our everyday lives. Carrying on the tradition of using technology to improve lives, ‘skillslab’ is an innovative approach to sharing knowledge and skills between close to 2000 users; a mix of employees and volunteers.
The new learning hub will operate across the group’s five museums, including the Science Museum and National Railway Museum, providing a strong sense of collaborative learning.
Having previously used classroom-based training, SMG wanted to make a move towards online learning as its primary source of learning, shifting its L&D culture into the 21st century. Utilising modern learning technology allows all colleagues to gain access to the online portal at any time and the compliance element of the Totara LMS will allow for monitoring and reports at the click of a button; something that would have previously taken significant admin hours.
The portal, provided by Learning Nexus, will provide a host of different courses but the group is kicking off with a soft launch, introducing the mandatory Health and Safety training initially. The innovative features of the Totara LMS are already reducing admin hours, with automated messages being sent to employees to inform them of courses to be completed. Features including automation single sign-on will help to streamline the learning process, removing the need for administrator input and creating efficiencies.
‘skillslab’, aptly named in a competition by SMG employees, is the start of a new culture shift in the way SMG delivers colleague training and development. Judith McNicol, Director – People & Culture for SMG said: “We are very excited to launch ‘skillslab’, enabling increased learning opportunities for all colleagues at a time and place that works for them”.
After the competitive tender process, SMG selected Learning Nexus as its eLearning partner to provide a Totara LMS and a library of eLearning content. Learning Nexus Account Director, Cath Mochan, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the enthusiastic and dedicated People & Culture team at SMG. They are clear in their aims and goals for this project and have embraced the technology and the benefits it can provide to them”.