Staff at Newham Council can create and manage their own learning targets
with the help of the newly launched Development Options Centre.
The facility is accessible on the council’s intranet to offer staff online
learning and support and staff can also book time in a development zone – a
multimedia learning suite.
Known as Doc,the service was launched in response to comments from staff in
a recent employee attitude survey on the need for more learning opportunities.
All learning via DOC is being linked directly into Newham Council’s appraisal
system.
Courses include languages, project management and leadership and the DOC is
set up to allow employees to post messages or questions to colleagues.
Newham’s acting head of strategic human resources and development Maria King
said: "We have worked hard to develop a resource that staff can easily
access and learn a whole host of subjects.
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"By linking this learning into the appraisal process we can ensure that
everyone gets an opportunity to pursue a course that directly benefits them and
their work.
"The response from staff has been phenomenal and we are already
expanding the number of courses on offer to meet demand," she added.