MoD spends £21m on e-learning

The Ministry of Defence has signed a £21m contract with BT to extend its e-learning programme to accommodate up to 300,000 people.

The deal follows a £24m pilot of the Defence Learning Portal (DLP), a system that gives MoD employees individual access to training resources.

BT is to bolster the security of the DLP, which will manage who has access to unclassified and restricted course materials. Unclassified training materials will be available on the internet to staff anywhere in the world.

Rear Admiral Simon Goodall, director of general training at the MoD, said: "Training people for military operations involves development of a range of attributes such as leadership, teamwork, ethos and courage, which predominately requires human interaction.

"Classroom learning has an important role to play in training, however e-learning has become increasingly valuable. It offers personnel greater flexibility and control over their development, and critically helps to minimise time spent away from home or their normal workplace."

Initially, the new training system will be available to MoD civilians, military personnel and reservists. BT said there is potential to give access to others in the future.