We work with our clients to create learning solutions that actually work

‘We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach, we work with our clients to understand their real issues!’

Capgemini Academy is increasingly seen as a partner rather than as a supplier. ‘We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach, but we work with our clients to understand their real issues,’ says deputy director Sander Brugmans. “Our offering is up to date, easy to understand and has been shown to help employees and teams develop. Our Cedeo accreditation is just one piece of evidence that this is the case.”

What’s the best way to make sure professionals actually use their knowledge in their work? Sander has noticed that question is becoming more and more important in conversations with employers. He’s the deputy director of Capgemini Academy, so he’s in charge of the day-to-day running of the place and manages the sales team. He also makes sure that changes at Capgemini Academy actually lead to improvement and growth for clients – with learning solutions that match their needs.

Sander says clients’ satisfaction shows that the changes are paying off. Cedeo accreditation, which is given out based on customer surveys, is one way Capgemini Academy knows that it scores highly in all areas of its services. This includes content, delivery and relationship management. “At the end of the day, it’s all about getting real results – for the person taking part and for the organization.”

‘We’re moving from being a traditional training institute to a broader role as a partner in learning and development.’

What’s your role in the organization’s development?

“As well as my official duties, I see it like this: we’re moving from being a traditional training institute to a broader role as a partner in learning and development. In that transition, I’m always asking myself: are we still doing the right things, and are we delivering the results that customers are looking for?”

What makes you interested in learning and development?

“I think it’s the energy that radiates from it. You work with people who want to get ahead and develop themselves. I’ve also been through a development process myself. I started out in support roles at colleges and universities. I realized that I really came alive when I was involved in the primary process: the classrooms, the dynamics.”

You said just a minute ago that Capgemini Academy is moving more and more into being a partner in learning and development. What do you mean by that?

“For us, it means we’re there for our customers every step of the way, from when they first have a problem to when they’re putting new ideas into practice. We get involved in the analysis, design a solution together, make sure it’s implemented properly and that the results are secured. This could be a training course, but it could also be a complete program with advice, blended formats or internal coaching. We’re like your learning partner, taking care of everything from start to finish.”

And what’s next?

“We’re moving from being a traditional training institute to a broader role as a partner in learning and development. Employers need more than just the usual training. They often have more complex issues to deal with, like employees who need to adapt to change, bottlenecks in teams or strategic development goals. We get involved right from the start to analyse what is really needed.”

“Sometimes the result of this is that we offer a specific training course. But we are increasingly arriving at a broader program. One powerful solution is blended learning. These are a mix of classroom-based learning, digital learning and practical working methods. Also think about coaching, support with change issues or a combination of these.”

“Basically, we take responsibility for the whole program, not just for the lesson on day one.”

What does this mean for your organization?

“It’s a bit of a learning process, to be honest. We use the same approach with our customers as we do with ourselves: we work with structured improvement cycles, also known as continuous improvement cycles. So we design something, implement it, measure the effect and make adjustments where necessary. We’re always looking back: what happened, what data did we get, what did we learn from it? This helps us to keep on growing as an organization.”

“What helps is that Capgemini Academy is part of the much larger Capgemini organization. We’ve got access to all the knowledge and expertise built up there – in customer projects, in change processes, in technology. A lot of our trainers also work as consultants or specialists at Capgemini. This means they know exactly what’s going on in practice and can immediately apply those insights to the learning process. This ensures our training courses remain up to date and relevant.”

How do you keep on top of quality with all this innovation and development?

“For us, quality starts with the content. Our team’s got a lot of know-how when it comes to teaching and content. They’re at the heart of the profession and bring their up-to-date knowledge straight into the training. This makes sure that our solutions look good on paper and work in reality for our customers.”

“We also build training courses based on didactically sound formats. We look at the target group, how they learn, and what they already know, and then we adapt our approach. We don’t just give you a standard story, we give you a learning experience that’ll stick with you. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned to your work and keep applying it in your work. This means you can see real change happening in the workplace.”

“And, of course, we measure customer satisfaction before, during and after each program. The Cedeo accreditation is proof of this. It shows that we do what we say – and that customers experience this too.”

I’d love to hear more about that Cedeo accreditation. But first, what exactly do you mean by ‘didactically sound formats’?

“We make training courses using a fixed teaching approach, with the person taking the course as the starting point. We call this client-centric. Who’s in the group, what do they already know, what do they want to learn and how do they like to learn? So, we figure out the structure, how it’ll work and the pace of the learning program based on this. This way, we can make sure we’re meeting the practical needs and learning goals of each person in the group.”

“When we’re putting together the learning program, we use formats and development guidelines based on scientific insights into learning and behavioral change. These include theories about learning styles, memory, motivation and putting what you’ve learned into practice. What’s the best way to make sure people actually put what they’ve learned into practice at work? We don’t just offer presentations or stories based on gut feeling, but training courses that really have an effect. If someone’s forgotten everything after two weeks, it’s no good to anyone.”

Let’s go back to Cedeo then: what exactly is it, and why is it an important quality indicator for you?

“Cedeo is an independent outfit that focuses on quality assessment in the training market. They look at how well trainers are doing based on what their customers say, and they only give the Cedeo accreditation if at least 80% of customers are satisfied or very satisfied. It’s a highly regarded quality mark in our industry.”

“Cedeo talks to clients and looks at content, implementation, relationship management, communication and value for money. You’ll hear how customers experience the collaboration, what they appreciate and where there’s room for improvement. It also makes us keep our eyes peeled. We’ve now received this accreditation several times in a row, with really high scores, and we’re pretty proud about that. This is really great recognition!”

High scores?

“In the latest survey, clients gave us a score of 4.4 to 4.7 on a scale of 5 for almost all aspects. There’s always room for improvement, but overall Cedeo is very satisfied with our services.”

I was wondering if you use any other methods to measure quality and satisfaction, as well as Cedeo?

“Absolutely. For example, we’ve got our own way of looking into client satisfaction. It is called ‘On time and above customer expectation’. This method lets us measure how a project is experienced at different points in time, like before, during and after completion. Last year, we scored an average of 4.3 on a scale of 5.”

“We also do standard participant surveys for every training course, including classroom courses. The average score is 8.8. We also look at external platforms such as Springest, where participants share their experiences. We take all this feedback on board and use it to improve. Measuring is important – but improving is what really counts.”

Build a learning path together?

At Capgemini Academy, we help organizations get ahead with learning solutions that actually work. Our training courses are all up to date, easy to follow and based on real-life situations.

We’ll put together a learning program that matches your goals and delivers lasting results. Feel free to get in touch – we’re always happy to help!