A COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT MODEL FOR A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY THE EXAMPLE OF FRANCE TELECOM June 2006

The rationale The increasing competition forces France Télécom to: Consider and manage change as a policy The new competition context of broadband ISPs and network degrouping At the same time the important number of workers retiring Use new technologies Explore the different ways of using IP over Voice for new Internet services (television, music,…) Use of new technologies: fibre optics,… From a managerial point of view: Identify and perfect more and more refined techniques of setting up and controlling the productive processes, whether France Télécom is destined to create products or services. Professionalize the customer intervention technician/user relationship to develop customer loyalty Do more with fewer employees

What is the possible response that organizations and individuals expect from the training system? Change and the evolutionary trend does not occur and can not develop if… … the individuals who should generate and control it cannot rely on a training system which is able to adapt as rapidly : Skills and competences Job profiles Methods and comparison, communication tools and team-work. The model which faces this problem in a systematic way is now commonly known as “ competence- based approach ”

The “competence based” model allows one to successfully face and manage organizational and productive change projects, even if complex … … working on the binomial “process-competence” This binomial has, as a leading thread, the precise control of the logical-temporal succession of activities and work results. Once those activities which feed the work process have been identified, it is easier to identify what is being done and taken on by each vocational profile. This survey is centred on the customer intervention technician profile. What is the possible response that organizations and individuals expect from the training system?

What vocational training systems are taken into consideration by the Eutranex Partnership? Vocational training, predominantly oriented towards young people to favour access to the labour market France Telecom wish to employ young technicians with a “Bac Pro Maintenance” degree in the fields of network-office automation and telematics (réseaux- bureautique-télématique (MRBT)) through work- linked training in partnership with the Greta de Montluçon. Once the analysis of the job profile required for employing a customer intervention technician is done, Eutranex methodology is used to design the training course content necessary for each young trainee.

Job profile of a BAC PRO MRBT trainee

Analysing the real activity What are the missions of a client intervention technician today? 3 key processes –Production –Maintenance –Customer counselling

Analysing the real activity What are the missions of a client intervention technician tomorrow? 4 key processes in constant evolution –Production through the generalization of broadband ADSL and Voice over IP Systems –Maintenance with the arrival of new products –Customer counselling with the « capacity » of new products –Business dimension with the growing competition on the products and the access to these products through degrouping.

Evolution of job profiles required for employing a client intervention technician

The required skills and competences evolve 1- Communication:relationship practices and techniques –Establish and facilitate communication in a face-to-face situation –Identify and satisfy client/customer’s needs and expectations –Assess client/customer satisfaction –Take part in increasing the standing of France Télécom’s image 2- Commercial/business dimension –Implement company customer service policies –Adapt customer service offers –Ensure business activity follow-up 3- Organization –… 4- English language –… 5- Professional and scientific fields –…

Academic knowledge linked to competences will be provided in training modules Communication Business dimension Organization English language Professional and scientific fields –New product technology –Hands-on case studies –Security/safety and authorizations –Applied physics –Legislation and work regulations

Indicative study time for each module Entry requirements: Bac pro MRBT Study time at the training centre :420 hours Indicative allocation: –Communication: 20 % –Business dimension: 15% –Organization : 10% –English language: 10% –Scientific and professional fields: 45%

Example of linked skills and competences/ associated knowledge 1-communication … –1.1. establish and facilitate customer communication and relationship in a face to face situation methods of effectively welcoming customer, having an open minded attitude, being supportive, Listening Questioning:how to help customer express is needs and expectations … –1.1. The basics of communication General principles in communication Verbal and non-verbal communication Oral expression and paralanguage …

Examples of linking (continued) 5-Professional and scientific fields –System configuration –Data transmission:synchronous, asynchronous, modem configuration, minitel applications, différent modulations (frequency, phase) –Digital transmission –Amplification, filtering –QAM, CAP, DMT modulation –Electromagnetic frequency bandwidths