Mystery Shopping Project for ORC

Ufi (University for Industry) has just commissioned research consultancy ORC International to undertake a two-year project, which will include mystery shopping all 1,400 learndirect centres in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ufi - the organisation set up by the government in 1998 as its flagship for lifelong learning - is putting in place a mystery learning programme to evaluate the service it is currently providing through its learndirect e-learning service in partnership with private training institutions and further education colleges.

The learndirect helpline - the national learning advice line - provides information on more than 550,000 courses for adults. The helpline is supported by a powerful database of courses from providers nationwide, which can also be accessed on-line through the learndirect website.

ORC International has already conducted an extensive consultation exercise and mystery shopping pilot study for Ufi, and is about to commence the overall programme with the first wave of activity taking place in February and March 2002.

Helen Milner, director of distributed learning and operations at Ufi explained 'Ufi has ambitious targets for one million people a year to be learning with learndirect by 2005. The mystery shopping programme will help us evaluate and audit the services on offer through our partners with learndirect, providing us with the information and data we need to continue to develop learndirect as a national brand for learning'.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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