t-learning - Future Scenarios - New employment opportunities and learning needs analysis

Fabrizio De Carlo has just returned home from work having just been told by his employer, in the automotive industry, that he is going to be made redundant in three months time. Very depressed, he switches on his TV to the Employment Opportunities Channel to see what is available within his region.

The programmes have been prepared by the regional TV company in conjunction with the regional employment agency who have reallocated their resources away from physical offices scattered across their region to utilising mass-media for advertising jobs. They have also established a 24 hours a day call centre for dealing with enquiries about employment opportunities and learning needs. Other income comes from the employment “flashes” or advertisements paid for by employers who urgently need to fill vacancies.

As Fabrizio views the programmes passively he becomes interested in an item about the owner of a rural vehicle repair service. The owner is getting too old to run his business and he cannot persuade his sons to run it for him. However, the local community is very dependent on his business, as it is the only one in the area. The programme describes what regional development grants are available for taking over or starting new businesses in the region and also highlights skills that would be required for running a business.

At this point the information icon appears on the screen. Fabrizio presses the interactive button on the remote control and the screen displays in a graphical format (high quality teletext) various options for further information. Fabrizio is able to move an arrow around the screen to point on a map where he lives. He is able to display a list of skills that may be required for running a business. He is able to “bookmark” that page and return to it later. By selecting further options he is able to find out what courses are available locally and also what job vacancies exist relating to the automotive industry. He is also able to find out what existing businesses require new partners.

An additional service on offer is a learning needs analysis where Fabrizio is able to answer various questions by selecting options using his remote control. He is then presented with a diagnosis of his learning needs and suggestions as to what to do next. He is also given a unique identification number. At all points during this information service there is an option to receive further information via email or ring up the helpline with a freephone number. As Fabrizio does not have email, he rings up the helpline and asks for the information to be sent through the post by giving the ID number to the call centre operator. He is also given the immediate opportunity to discuss with a personal adviser, a strategy to get him back into full employment. As they talk she can point him to information available on the TV screen and produce a personal development plan that is displayed on the TV screen as they talk. This is achieved by linking the unique ID to the address of Fabrizio’s set-top box.

Future Scenario - New employment opportunities and learning needs analysis