Telstra: Learning BPO

Telstra offers a full range of services and competes in all telecommunications markets throughout Australia, providing more than 8.5 million Australians with fixed line services and more than 11.4 million with mobile services, including more than 9.3 million 3G services.

When Telstra wanted to improve and expand its learning capabilities, it turned to Accenture.

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Telstra’s business strategy places the customer at the heart of everything it does and has put Telstra on a journey toward creating a truly customer-centric organization. At the same time, Telstra continues to introduce groundbreaking new services to the market and to roll out advanced communications infrastructure.

Telstra’s people are central to its ability to execute this business strategy. Its people need to be skilled in the ever-expanding range of products and services the company provides, which means that ongoing learning and training has to be built into the way the company does business.

In 2006, Telstra chose Accenture to design, build and operate a central learning and skills development capability, the Telstra Learning Academy. The Academy provides curriculum planning, content development, learning delivery, support operations, technology services and governance processes to more than 23,000 Telstra employees.

Accenture was selected by Telstra based on our delivery scale and capabilities; our experience-based insights into the telecommunications industry; and our proven track record in helping clients achieve high performance through innovative, efficient and outsourced learning services.

The Telstra Learning Academy equips Telstra’s people with the skills and mindset to take ownership, be responsive, reliable, innovative and collaborative, and constantly to strive for excellence. The Telstra Learning Academy seeks to fulfill this goal through efficient and innovative training and skills development, delivered using state-of-the-art tools, methodologies and facilities.

It leverages Accenture's global content development and delivery network, providing flexibility and scalability. Specific learning programs targeted to build next-generation technology skills, along with certification processes, support consistent skill development throughout the Telstra workforce in support of its business goals.

Content is developed by Accenture's content development centers in Brisbane, Australia, and Bangalore, India, part of Accenture’s Global Delivery Network. Support and help desk operations are delivered from Accenture centers in Bangalore and Chicago, Illinois.

Since the start of the program, Accenture has been helping Telstra migrate its predominantly instructor-led training model to a blended program including more self-paced e-learning to enable broader and more efficient delivery of learning to Telstra's dispersed workforce. The learning model also leverages new and innovative learning technologies such as virtual instructor-led training and podcasting.

Since its launch in 2006, more than 80 percent of Telstra’s people have participated in Telstra Learning Academy training.

With an operating model and strategy that maximizes the linkage between learning and the business, the Telstra Learning Academy makes a positive impact on business performance.

After five years in operation, the Telstra Learning Academy has trained more than 90,000 people through a network of more than 200 training venues across Australia. It has developed and deployed more than 1,100 new or enhanced courses and conducted 23,500 instructor-led training days.

“Our people are central to our drive to place customers at the heart of everything we do,” said Richard Coleman, Telstra’s director of learning and development. “With the Telstra Learning Academy, we are at the forefront of our cultural change efforts. We are faster, more responsive and more efficient.”

The Telstra Learning Academy continues to raise the bar on efficiency. Recently, the number of Telstra’s people who attended Web-based training skyrocketed from 5,000 per quarter to more than 14,000 per quarter. The Telstra Learning Academy has also increased efficiency and flexibility, cutting the time to develop courses by 31 percent and reducing the delivery-scheduling cycle from quarterly to monthly. To increase sustainability, the team also reduced paper consumption through digital delivery of training.