client news
Echelon in 'High Speed 1' development scheme
Echelon has won a contract to help select customer service staff for
High Speed 1 (previously known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link).
Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is the setting for a novel form of assessment
for would-be customer care staff with High Speed 1 (previously known as
the Channel Tunnel Rail Link). These centres form part of learning
consultancy Echelon's on-going selection of, and support for, these
staff.
The selection process begins this month for staff who will work at the
refurbished St Pancras International and new station Ebbsfleet
International, although the service is not due to come into operation on
the new section of track from Fawkham Junction, in Kent, to St Pancras,
until 14th November.
Candidates for the role of Customer Service Officer can access details at
www.jobsatstpancras.co.uk and
www.jobsatebbsfleet.co.uk and the job involves providing excellent
service for this new concept retail and transport experience.
Under the contract with High Speed 1, Echelon will run a series of
assessment centres - taking place at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north
London.
Each candidate selected for interview will be confronted with a number of
role play scenes, involving professional actors. The candidate's
reactions to these scenarios will determine his/her suitability to be a
customer service officer or manager.
"In order to be a successful customer care officer with High Speed 1, you
have to have much more than a personable manner," explained David Hill,
Echelon's managing director. "Among other things, you have to have well
developed powers of observation, tact, confidence and initiative.
"This novel use of professional actors - to assess candidates - is
essential because it represents the most cost-effective and lifelike way
of testing these qualities in the candidates," he added.
"Moreover, since St Pancras is being re-developed along the lines of
Grand Central Station in New York - complete with gourmet restaurants and
the longest champagne bar in Europe - the customer care staff there will
have to know more than just the basics of which train goes from which
platform!"
Released 30th May 2007 on behalf of Echelon Publishing by BLP&PR
Media contact: Peter Muir Tel + 44 (0)1296 715228
Email: echelon@pmpr.co.uk
Sales contact: David Hill
Tel + 44 (0)20 8568 1500
Email: david@echelonl.com
Editor Note:
About High Speed 1
Full UK Government approval was granted in 1996 for the two sections of
the 69-mile (108km) High Speed 1 - previously known as Channel Tunnel
Rail Link (CTRL). The opening date of the first phase, 43km, was 28th
September 2003 - on time and on budget. The second phase, again on time
and within budget will open on 14th November 2007.
Once the whole line is open in 2007, London - Paris times should be cut
to two hours 15 minutes, with Brussels possible in two hours. The Channel
Tunnel portal is just 35 minutes from St Pancras and, from 2009, Kent
services will see significant reductions with Ashford taking around 36
minutes from London via High Speed 1.
High Speed 1 domestic services will connect London with Gravesend,
Margate and Broadstairs by joining the classic network at Ebbsfleet and
Stratford, while services to Canterbury, Ramsgate and, possibly, Dover
will continue to Ashford to join existing routes there.
About Echelon Learning
Echelon Learning is a consultancy-led publishing house that integrates
electronically-delivered knowledge and learning into the development of
management skills and business performance. Its consulting division has
won four national training awards for customer service initiatives.
Echelon Learning is a consultancy-led publishing house that integrates
electronically-delivered knowledge and learning into the development of
management skills and business performance.
Echelon Consulting spearheads the company's service with the development
of new content in meeting clients' requirements. This is usually derived
from analysing employee knowledge and learning needs captured during
client learning programmes.
Where appropriate, Echelon Publishing then offers this new content to a
wider audience by publishing the material in generic format. This is made
available in the form of easy to use 'learning nuggets' and is
complimented with business development information licensed exclusively
from one of the market's best-known providers, Bloomsbury.
Echelon e-Learning provides the electronic systems which enable content
to be published, distributed and usage tracked, and offers work-based
solutions to a global audience. Echelon's blended learning based on a
bespoke site populated with material selected to support specific
courses, builds knowledge prior to the event and refreshes application
when back at the desk.
About Echelon Publishing
Echelon technologies help organisations place solutions at people's
fingertips, whether solving everyday business and work-related problems
or helping gain qualifications and continued professional development.
Echelon:
Has a content management
system enabling informational or learning material to be developed or
converted into XML so that it can be published and distributed in text
and/or via the web.
Has a learning management system to provide ready access via the web to
highly structured information, which is easily searched and retrieved,
and whose usage can be tracked and learning logged.
Publishes and/or reformats
content for professional bodies and commercial organisations to help
students and employees maintain or develop requisite skills throughout
their careers.
Supports people from the outset of their careers in working with
professional bodies to develop and deliver the learning content required
by students in preparing for examination.
Frees up the knowledge and
learning contained within a business so that people have ready access to
these resources in helping them to solve problems or develop their
careers.
Works with a number of blue chip organisations and professional bodies,
including:
COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONAL
BUPA Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development
Coventry Building Society Chartered Institute of Public Finance
Accountants
Lincoln Financial Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply
Moat House Hotels Construction Industry Training Board
Modernisation Agency (NHS) Institute of Chartered Secretaries &
Administrators
Channel Tunnel Rail Link Institute of Chartered Accountants in E & W
NHS Logistics Institute of Civil Engineers
Vodafone Royal Town Planning Institute
