External benchmarking through the RoSPA Qualifications Awards
 

Company: Popcorn Learning Agency
 
Achievement: Finalist in the First Class E-Learning Small Provider of the Year category at the RoSPA Qualification Awards 2024.

Background: Based in Southampton, Popcorn Learning Agency delivers bespoke learning solutions including e-learning modules, animated videos and interactive content, designed engage learners, improve operational efficiency, increase revenue and manage risk more effectively. Currently a core team of eight, the company draws on a network of experts for larger projects.
 
We asked Popcorn Learning Agency’s Director, Mark Glanville, about their approach to health and safety e-learning and their success at the RoSPA Qualifications Awards 2024.

How did you feel about your success at the 2024 RoSPA Qualifications Awards?  
“We’re tremendously proud to be named finalists for the second year running. There is no business goal more important than ensuring the safety of the people who work there, and so to be recognised in this way by an organisation with the prestige of RoSPA Qualifications is a huge accolade for our clients too.”
 
How has your organisation developed and maintained high standards for e-learning delivery and content? 
“We are agnostic in terms of the subjects that we train. We are able to see what works well for some subjects and then bring that experience into others. This has enabled us to really disrupt the traditional workplace health and safety learning model.
 
“Like a lot of people, we’ve sat through some pretty tedious health and safety courses in the past. A lot of them share the same set of flaws – they contain too much detail, not enough engagement and place too much emphasis on knowledge over behaviour. We collaborate with our stakeholder partners to help them to distil the information needed in a course. We’d much rather a learner adopt a few new critical behaviours as a result of a course, than provide them with heaps of information that they’ll forget within a day or two.
 
“Health and safety is a serious subject, but it’s a mistake to assume that this means health and safety training needs to be delivered in a serious way. We try to establish emotional connections with our learners, because emotions help memories stick and encourage changes to behaviour.”
 
What motivated your organisation to enter the RoSPA Qualifications Awards? 
“We operate within the confines of our own bubble most of the time. We think that what we do is good, and our client feedback is always positive, but awards give us the ability to truly benchmark ourselves against our peers. I want to ensure that the quality of our courses continually improves, and so externally benchmarking ourselves through awards is a great way to track whether we are doing this successfully or not.”
 
What have the benefits of entering the Awards been? 
“In addition to what I’ve already mentioned, the awards give us credibility. We operate in an incredibly competitive marketplace, and this really helps to differentiate us from our competitors.”
 
What advice would you give to other organisations aiming to achieve similar recognition and excellence in e-learning provision?
 “Do something different and measure the results. If the results aren’t good – great – at least you now know what doesn’t work and you can still be safe in the knowledge that it’s still infinitely better than doing nothing. But if the results are amazing, then you’re going to make a really valuable difference to the organisation, and more importantly, its people.”

 
July 2024.
 

Interested in RoSPA Qualifications?

Find out more about RoSPA Qualifications, including the benefits of getting your training independently verified through the Course Assurance service, or becoming a RoSPA Qualifications Centre and delivering RoSPA-levelled qualifications.

Find out more at: www.rospa.com/health-and-safety-qualifications