Having one of the most labour-intensive operations in the world means that the Post must promote the development of its staff to turn this heavy reliance on human resources into an asset for the sector.
Posts have long recognized this need, and there are many initiatives geared towards capacity building at the national level. The UPU has undertaken various human resource development projects to complement these efforts. One such example is its online distance-learning solution, known as Trainpost, which offers online training courses for the benefit of postal staff.
Building capacity
The UPU’s Development Cooperation Directorate launched Trainpost in 2004 as a means to share training techniques with managers in postal operators. Since then, Trainpost has developed into a full-fledged distance-learning platform, offering free modular courses on a range of topics, including postal reform and regulation, postal products, financial services, management of postal operations, postal technologies, and human resource management techniques.
The UPU’s development cooperation strategy emphasizes the importance of capacity building across the global postal network. Under that strategy, the UPU carries out a number of training activities in the regions, including organizing train-the-trainer workshops, lending support to regional and national training centres, and funding fellowships for staff in developing countries to attend UPU workshops.
Trainpost is a key tool of that development cooperation strategy and complements the on-the-ground work, allowing for more cost-effective and wider-reaching training. Learners can overcome geographical boundaries with just an Internet connection.
Indeed, the figures show that Trainpost’s reach is truly global. Some 19,000 postal staff in 190 countries have used the tool to further their professional development, amounting to more than 420,000 study hours. The Arab region, followed by Africa, have the highest participation rates on the platform.
The platform has equalized the training experience across all regions, regardless of level of development, by allowing the staff of operators that cannot afford costly classroom sessions to benefit from the same content. Postal operators and regulators in some regions have even linked Trainpost to their performance appraisal system.
Going digital
In an effort to streamline the Trainpost certification process for the benefit of global learners, the UPU recently introduced automated digital certification on the platform. This will ensure that learners receive their certificates as soon as they have successfully completed each course and will allow the UPU training team to dedicate more time to learner support.
Learners can access digital certificates for courses completed from January 2018 onwards by logging into their Trainpost account and clicking on the notification message alerting them that their certificate is ready.
In the future, the UPU hopes to move toward a fully immersive digital learning experience, with plans to offer online tutoring, multimedia support and a user-friendly discussion platform.
(UPU)
