Oakman Inns launches e-learning scheme ‘Oakmanology'

01 December 2015 by Neil Gerrard

Pub firm Oakman Inns has launched an online training and development scheme for its 500 employees called Oakmanology.

The scheme has been designed from scratch by e-learning course provider CPL Online to mirror Oakman's existing HR programme and to support all Oakman employee's across the firm's 13 pubs to progress along their chosen career pathways.

It was inspired by Oakman Inns' chief executive Peter Borg-Neal, and driven by Jill Scatchard, head of HR at the company.

Borg-Neal said: "We could have bought our online training platform off the shelf, but what was available didn't reflect our company's ethos which, as well as investing in traditional management development, has always been focused on getting high-level craft and technical skills back into the industry."

He added: "It's a natural human desire to want to learn new things, to develop new skills and to become more capable of succeeding in life. I sincerely hope that Oakmanology will give everybody at Oakman Inns the opportunity to do just that. Not everyone wants to go through the management route so it's important to us that we bring out the very best in every employee by encouraging and helping them to build on their interests and to develop their skills."

Scatchard said: "The best way to describe Oakmanology is as our new ‘Online Craft Academy'. The Oakman Inns' ethos to ‘Be the best you can be', is embraced by everyone from team members to our CEO. We have approached all the training and development levels with the first question an employee will want to know: ‘What do I need to learn to be brilliant at my job?'

"We have taken a fresh approach to career development by focusing on the personal strengths, skills and talents of each individual whether it's mixology, butchery, being a wine connoisseur or leadership. The progress of each individual can also be tracked in real time and is linked to our ‘Passport to Success' incremental pay programme which is based on achievement."

Oakman Inns was founded by entrepreneur and CEO Peter Borg-Neal in 2007 when he opened the Akeman in Tring. It is listed among the London Stock Exchange's 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain and claimed 28th place in this year's The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK.

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