A Case Study: After COVID hit, one brand decided to digitize their trainings in hopes of meeting a 3-year goal of training 25% of workers on gender-based violence and safety. Read how they were able to increase the number of workers trained, meeting their goal after just 6 months and reduce training time by 60%.
In 2019, a small apparel brand set a 3-year goal to have 25% of workers in their 1st tier supply chain trained on safety and gender-based violence by 2023. The brand set a plan to hit this ambitious target, creating face-to-face training modules and hiring additional staff globally to deliver the trainings.
Then COVID hit.
The brand was no longer able to go onsite to conduct trainings and suppliers were busy trying to protect workers from COVID and changing production efforts to match every changing local regulation. The sustainability team morale was deflated, their efforts to train workers had been derailed.
While the brand strongly believed combating COVID and protecting workers from the virus should be a key priority, they also knew increased stress and a shrinking job market would result in an increase in worker vulnerability. They decided their goal to train workers was still critical.
The brand heard from one of their suppliers about WOVO eLearning and decided to engage Labor Solutions to digitize their lessons. By digitizing the lessons, the brand and suppliers were able to deliver the trainings to more workers despite COVID.
Content Design
The Labor Solutions digital learning team used the face-to-face training curricula outlines and created a blended learning model for the brand. They were able to digitize over 80% of the curricula. Working with the brand the team created interactive and entertaining content for workers, ensuring to check for understanding after the presentation of each concept and then to conduct an assessment at the end of the lesson.
The team was also able to use a set of culturally ambiguous characters, making translations easier and more affordable. Literacy was a concern for the brand as well, so for some languages, voice overs were added. All courses were saved in both a video format to be shared on screens in factories, but also as an eLearning package to be distributed via WOVO to workers.
Program and Reporting Design
The Labor Solutions team advised the brand to set targets for the percentage of workers who completed each lesson for each country to ensure that suppliers prioritized distribution. The brand considered challenges each locality, like the prevalence of COVID, when they set targets, and decided to set slightly different targets for each supplier countries. They also decided to set lower targets to make sure the goals were not overwhelming at first.
The goals were clear and easy to communicate both internally to brand stakeholders but also to suppliers. After a group call with suppliers and an email, the suppliers were clear on the Brand's expectations.
Implementation
Labor Solutions sent each supplier a set up package. To get started:
Suppliers were given access to their own WOVO worker database to easily upload worker profiles. This allows for courses to be ta
rgeted to specific groups of workers, like managers. It also allows for more accurate reporting.
If a worker takes the course and then later quits, the workers data will be counted in the Overall Trained Data point but not in the current workforce data point. This allows the supplier to ensure their current workforce is up-to-date on trainings.
Suppliers were given promotional materials and a video to distribute to workers to make downloading and registering for the app easy
Workers scan the QR code and download the WOVO app. The App automatically filled in the company code, workers only need to add their employee ID number to get started
Suppliers set up digital training areas at the factory
Suppliers provided WIFI in these areas for workers to download the course to take later or to take the course live
Many suppliers provided a few extra devices (computers, phones, tablets etc) for workers without smart phones to use to access the content.
Some suppliers provided incentives like free phone credit or entry into a raffle for workers who completed the courses
Data + Results
After just 6 months the brand had successfully trained 25% of workers at their strategic suppliers. The brand saw this as an instant success and continued to have their digital trainings translated and rolled out to more suppliers.
The digital trainings also require 60 percent less worker time than classroom training. What used to be a half a day training was now a twenty-minute digital training + one-hour face-to-face training.
The brand plans conduct the face to face component of their blended learning program when COVID subsides. The onsite training is now structured as a practicum, allowing participants apply the content learned in the digital training to real life scenarios. The shorter training allows the brand to train more workers and the suppliers are happier that workers spend less time away from the production line.
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