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F ID I AC A D E M Y FIDI ACADEMY ONLINE LEARNING, BY CHANTAL FERA The FIDI Academy was the first one to react quickly to the COVID crisis and has continued to offer flexible online learning options to its Affiliates. Our online learning platform offers a wide range of topics in multiple languages. The webinars on more than 15 different industry topics and soft skills training are low cost and allow for interaction between the attendees and the subject-matter expert. Not only did we offer this free-of-charge training during the first lockdown period, we also quickly translated the onsite management seminars into a virtual modular format. This was extremely well received and successful. CHANTAL FERA, FIDI ACADEMY MANAGER about how fun and worthwhile FIDI seminars are, and how they help build strong networks. Being able to take part in the training online offered the possibility of further educating myself and incorporating it into my daily life. She adds that attending the seminar while keeping one eye on her day-to-day work required planning. When you are gone for a week, you can focus on the training, she says, but taking part during your normal working day means you have to prioritise your attention. The classes were enjoyable and useful, she says, and worth the extra effort. Sharon Lee, Sales and Pricing Manager at UniGroup Worldwide Moving, agrees that taking classes in a working day was a bit tough, and she would preferred to have met her classmates in person. But the online experience had some benefits. Its more convenient to group everything together online, she says. There is no restriction on where you are, and everyone is focused on the training topic. It was a great opportunity to meet different people working in the industry. Justas Cemnolonskas, Managing Director AGS Bratislava, says, despite its limitations, the format worked well. Given the circumstances, the implementation is at the highest level, he says, FIDI managed to create atmosphere when you forget that you are participating in an online course. Of course, students and trainers miss the camaraderie, social activities and total immersion of an in-person programme. Lyrum Kronkjaer says: During the FIDI seminars, the student as well as the trainers build relationships, talk about challenges and share stories and the students can find colleagues who have experienced the same challenges. This is more difficult during an online session. She adds that because online participants log off between their sessions, they miss the fun of lunch, dinner or coffee breaks. This is an advantage for the companies since the students multi-task by doing the seminar and their normal work more or less at the same time. For some students, however, the lower cost and convenience meant the new format worked even better than a face-to-face course. Shyla Mathews, founder and managing director of Singaporebased SIR International Movers, who took part to fill in gaps of my learning and knowledge, says: I preferred the cost and time online compared with in person. Coming from Asia, flights are expensive and we lose out on currency exchange. Also, I have young kids ,so it would have been difficult for me to travel. At Oman Moving and Storage, Accounts Team Leader Marie Mitchell says the online format still managed to push her outside of her comfort zone and has given her takeaways to implement immediately. Even though online, it didnt stop the FIDI team from providing an excellent course, she says. It gave me lots of new tools to assist me in my day-to-day role. I have started using processes and tools that Jesse, Chantal and Sara taught us. There were many case examples that I could immediately use in my daily working life, agrees Borchert. Cemnolonskas adds: The course helped to deepen my knowledge and to refresh forgotten things. It gave me more confidence in day-to-day tasks and tools to be implemented in office. I would highly recommend these courses to other managers. Borchert says she would also ACADEMY SPECIAL OFFER FOR 2021 Option 1: Unlimited access to all online training (*) for all employees until 31 December 2021: 1,500 per subsidiary/branch/head office. Option 2: One package (all online training*) four weeks access: 400/employee (discount on volume, if more than three employees). (*) ONLINE training (Flowsparks platform) Standard price FiM (The Foundations of International Moving) 499/pax DSP (The Fundamentals of DSP/Relo services) 200/pax QHSE (Quality, Health, Security, environment guidelines) to be launched by end of February 200/pax Packers Training (available in English, French or Spanish) EU GDPR 1,000/branch Free of charge FIDI Compliance Requirements Tools for successful RFPs (for end customers) Free of charge Free of charge 2021 special offer Includes all payable online training courses mentioned above, with unlimited access for all employees until 31 December 2021, only 1500 per affiliated office. To register please email academy@fidi.org. 60 FF301 Q2 21 pp58-61 MiM2.indd 60 WW W. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 09/03/2021 10:36