Case study
Industry
Software
Company HQ
Hanoi, Vietnam
Number of Employees
29,000
Office Locations
10 countries
FPT Software Boosts Its English Skills Learning And Employee Development With Udemy Business
Udemy driving business outcomes
Case study details
A pioneer in digital transformation, FPT Software provides wide-ranging digital services, from cloud to AI, for thousands of customers worldwide. While it’s headquartered in Hanoi, FPT Software has multiple dedicated regional offices and understands the importance of consistency and global operational standards.
This is no less true than for the company’s approach to L&D, where for more than a decade, FPT Software has strived to develop and instill a learning culture that prioritizes personal development through reskilling and upskilling.
An established L&D program in need of an overhaul
Operating across three continents with a 29,000-strong team of highly-skilled professionals, FPT Software offers wide-ranging software development services — including specialist delivery units — to its clients in any industry.
As such, FPT Software understands the need to prioritize critical skills learning better than most — having spent the best part of a decade fostering a learning culture in its organization and a lifelong appreciation of personal development in its people.
But with so many people spread across vast distances and time zones, ensuring learning consistency and avoiding a siloed approach to L&D can be a significant challenge. And as Long Tran, Head of Corporate Training Manager, explains, the company was keen to better support its people and understand how they like to learn: “Our people used to be left to organize their own training regimes, which is why we decided they needed greater support. In addition to quality content that could be accessed anytime, anywhere, we also wanted to prioritize certain courses as part of a wider organizational development roadmap.”
Above all, FPT Software needed a way to improve English language skills across the company in response to client feedback on communication. To drive this goal across the organization, the company has implemented a policy stating that all employees must have a minimum English proficiency level of B1, which is equivalent to a score of 550 points on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
Previously, FPT Software was encouraging English language learning using external local vendors, but it was a costly and inefficient solution. Instead, the company wanted to incorporate learning English into everyday skills and cohort learning through an online platform to maximize efficiency and speed to upskill.
Head of Corporate Training Manager
Effective learning supported by expert direction
Countless people within FPT Software already used Udemy Business’ course material, in addition to other L&D platforms, to study for technical certifications and other role-essential skills. This meant it was an easy transition for the company to adopt online learning formally — and it chose Udemy Business as its primary partner.
“While we were already very familiar with Udemy Business, we were also conscious of examining the wider market,” says Long. “After a trial of several online learning platforms, we decided to go with Udemy Business for its breadth and course diversity — particularly for technical and English skills — plus collaboration capabilities.”
Seamless onboarding and maximizing the benefits of cohort learning
Building on the company’s well-established learning culture, FPT Software gleaned significant company support for Udemy Business very quickly, with employees recognizing the operational, career, and cultural benefits supported online learning can offer.
“IT talent is increasingly in demand, so offering reskilling and upskilling opportunities is key,” says Long. “Udemy Business provides a new ocean of online courses that give us an advantage.”
The changes have allowed FPT Software to launch new initiatives to encourage more people to learn, helping remove the barriers to entry. One such scheme is the company’s Learning Together campaign, which provides employees with additional help and encouragement through cohort-driven learning.
“We needed a way to show people who were maybe reluctant or unmotivated to learn what they can achieve through workplace L&D,” explains Long. “Our Learning Together program makes it far easier to access learning. The program has also proved that cohort learning produces higher success rates and demonstrates that anyone can learn and succeed with the right support.”
Head of Corporate Training Manager
Fast and effective English language learning
FPT Software actively encourages its people to take day-to-day technical and business skills courses in English. With the right support through the company’s training and assessment program, the company believes that combining learning needs can boost efficiency and speed to learn.
For example, FPT Software matches its people in need of additional English language support with mentors who can provide instant one-to-one feedback. This process also has a secondary benefit of boosting morale and team cohesion. And with credits awarded for learning, mentoring, and excelling, team members are publicly recognized for their skills and progress, encouraging others to do the same.
These English skills are having a direct improvement on the company’s performance too. Many of FPT Software’s developers and team leads are now able to communicate more effectively with clients in English, helping them understand their clients’ needs more accurately and deliver standout service. These improved skills also support closer collaboration between international offices, enabling teams to share best practices more easily.
It’s not just English language learning that’s valuable either. As FPT Software’s global presence continues to grow in America, Asia, and Europe, employees are encouraged to improve their skills in relevant languages to their regions — with a strong focus on Korean. Udemy Business is crucial in supporting this goal, offering on-demand access to courses in a wide range of languages beyond English.
Data-driven insights that help steer progress
With a single dashboard of real-time learning insights at their fingertips, FPT Software’s L&D leaders can easily identify learners who need additional support and even respond quicker to emerging learning trends. “We use the data produced by Udemy Business to better understand our people,” says Long. “It helps us identify people who may need extra support. It gives us insights into course popularity, such as the rise of people doing wellbeing courses.”
FPT Software also uses Learning Paths in the Udemy platform to give teams greater direction in responding to future skills needs — with experienced mentors ensuring Learning Paths are fit for purpose and up to date.
“Having an online L&D platform is a necessity for us,” says Long. “It’s helped us create an effective mentorship program, and the fact Udemy works well with our other L&D systems gives us a lot of flexibility.”
Head of Corporate Training Manager
Building on mentoring success with Udemy Business Pro
Building on the company’s L&D progress so far, FPT Software will soon take advantage of Udemy Business Pro to enhance its mentorship program and build on its in-house expertise.
Having helped build the company’s L&D program to where it is today, Long has some advice for similar organizations thinking of moving to online learning: “You need to think of learning in layers,” explains Long. “Firstly, you should offer your people content on their terms — think anytime, anywhere course availability. But to be truly effective, you must augment your online learning platform with something substantial like mentoring. It’s the best way to develop a community of experts and encourage a learning culture.”
Head of Corporate Training Manager
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