The initial launch comprised the Learning Pool Totara Learn standard implementation, running existing New Look content; Day One Induction modules, soft skills and MS Office training.

The Day One Induction includes some internally developed soft skills training, health and safety, fire safety, IT induction etc, some of which is site specific depending on the role – field staff, retail, support, etc. Within the stores, there is an iPad which can be used for training and processing store card applications as well as a PC.

The system is available to around 15,000 staff members, 12,000 of which work in retail, 500 in the buying, merchandising and design team and the remainder in support and distribution roles.

The system was initially themed to the Academy’s original branding and integrated with their HR database, so that an employee training record was automatically created on their start date.

Many of the international territories needed multi-language support and New Look was particularly impressed by the ability of Learning Pool’s Totara Learn to switch languages at the touch of a button.

Two years after moving to Learning Pool’s Totara Learn, The Academy has relaunched with a new template created by Learning Pool. This is far more on brand than the original theme and the course pages are cleaner, with more graphical and icon-driven navigation and a consistent interface across the business. Also at this time, dozens of new courses have been added from Learning Pool’s Leadership Catalogue which has hugely enhanced New Look’s development offering.