Cognito learning guides national charity towards an intelligent future

Leeds based digital learning provider, Cognito Learning, has secured a prestigious contract with Guide Dogs. The company is helping the national charity improve knowledge retention among its employees and volunteers, while fostering a learning culture, reducing costs associated with retraining and creating a more self-sufficient workforce.

Cognito Learning is a unique digital learning app that uses the power of AI and engaging gamification to continuously help employees to understand, reinforce and retain their learning and knowledge. Employees and learners use Cognito Learning on their phones, tablets or computers, spending just two minutes a day answering questions about training, procedures, compliance or anything else.

Linda Cooper, head of learning and organisational development at Guide Dogs, said: “By using Cognito Learning’s innovative digital technology we are able to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the highest possible ethical and legal standards, whilst also ensuring our entire team are highly knowledgeable in their core legal, safeguarding and health & safety responsibilities.

“Our learning and skills team support everyone in a customer-facing role, including those working with our dogs or delivering services to people who are blind or partially sighted. Although we are comfortable with our learning programme, we needed a way of verifying that our staff and volunteers remember and understand what they are taught, particularly around compliance elements, including GDPR, safeguarding and health and safety.

“Cognito Learning really stood out because it offered more than similar tools we had looked at. It’s so simple to use and the AI identifies the areas where people or departments need additional help and support. It’s vital our systems are accessible, so another key driver was Cognito Learning’s willingness to make sure everyone could easily access it, including members of the Guide Dogs team who are blind or partially sighted.

“Every penny counts for us, but it is also essential that we maintain our quality and standards in everything that we do. As a charity our legal obligations are extensive, and we are regularly audited. The data that Cognito Learning provides is invaluable when it comes to demonstrating how we support staff to keep their knowledge and skills up to date, as well as being compliant with policies and procedures covering everything from whistle blowing to data protection and so much more. Cognito Learning also ensures ROI on training and a reduction in retraining requirements. The system’s AI shows us where the knowledge gaps are and helps us to review how we are delivering our training.”

Cognito Learning’s managing director, Mike Routledge, said: “Cognito Learning is challenging the traditional training market by questioning its effectiveness and delivering fresh, engaging, mobile, digital solutions designed for today’s learners. The fact that Guide Dogs has embraced our innovative digital solution shows how forward thinking the organisation is and how committed it is to helping improve employee knowledge, capability, engagement and wellbeing.”

Cognito Learning was founded in 2017 and works with any organisation that has over 100 employees. Completely non-sector specific, the app can be flexed to meet the needs of individual sectors and customers. The contract with Guide Dogs is one of several new business wins secured during 2020. Cognito Learning is also currently in discussions with several major German and Japanese motor manufacturers, a large US tech business and a number of international maritime organisations.