Bob Little Press and Public Relations - Echelon has won a contract to help select customer service staff for High Speed 1 previously known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link


Media Centre Echelon Learning Master List PRESS INFORMATION ISSUED ON BEHALF OF: Echelon Publishing Darwin House, 236 South Ealing Road, LONDON W5 4RP tel 020 8568 1500; fax 020 8560 6612; web http://learningmatters.com 30 May 2007 Echelon in 'High Speed 1' development scheme Echelon has won a contract to help select customer service staff for High Speed 1 (previously known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link). Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is the setting for a novel form of assessment for would-be customer care staff with High Speed 1 (previously known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link). These centres form part of learning consultancy Echelon's on-going selection of, and support for, these staff. The selection process begins this month for staff who will work at the refurbished St Pancras International and new station Ebbsfleet International, although the service is not due to come into operation on the new section of track from Fawkham Junction, in Kent, to St Pancras, until 14th November. Candidates for the role of Customer Service Officer can access details at www.jobsatstpancras.co.uk and www.jobsatebbsfleet.co.uk and the job involves providing excellent service for this new concept retail and transport experience. Under the contract with High Speed 1, Echelon will run a series of assessment centres - taking place at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north London. Each candidate selected for interview will be confronted with a number of role play scenes, involving professional actors. The candidate's reactions to these scenarios will determine his/her suitability to be a customer service officer or manager. "In order to be a successful customer care officer with High Speed 1, you have to have much more than a personable manner," explained David Hill, Echelon's managing director. "Among other things, you have to have well developed powers of observation, tact, confidence and initiative. "This novel use of professional actors - to assess candidates - is essential because it represents the most cost-effective and lifelike way of testing these qualities in the candidates," he added. "Moreover, since St Pancras is being re-developed along the lines of Grand Central Station in New York - complete with gourmet restaurants and the longest champagne bar in Europe - the customer care staff there will have to know more than just the basics of which train goes from which platform!" Released 30th May 2007 on behalf of Echelon Publishing by BLP&PR Media contact: Peter Muir Tel + 44 (0)1296 715228 Email: echelon@pmpr.co.uk Sales contact: David Hill Tel + 44 (0)20 8568 1500 Email: david@echelonl.com About High Speed 1 Full UK Government approval was granted in 1996 for the two sections of the 69-mile (108km) High Speed 1 - previously known as Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). The opening date of the first phase, 43km, was 28th September 2003 - on time and on budget. The second phase, again on time and within budget will open on 14th November 2007. Once the whole line is open in 2007, London - Paris times should be cut to two hours 15 minutes, with Brussels possible in two hours. The Channel Tunnel portal is just 35 minutes from St Pancras and, from 2009, Kent services will see significant reductions with Ashford taking around 36 minutes from London via High Speed 1. High Speed 1 domestic services will connect London with Gravesend, Margate and Broadstairs by joining the classic network at Ebbsfleet and Stratford, while services to Canterbury, Ramsgate and, possibly, Dover will continue to Ashford to join existing routes there. About Echelon Learning Echelon Learning is a consultancy-led publishing house that integrates electronically-delivered knowledge and learning into the development of management skills and business performance. Echelon Consulting spearheads the company's service with the development of new content in meeting clients' requirements. This is usually derived from analysing employee knowledge and learning needs captured during client learning programmes. Where appropriate, Echelon Publishing then offers this new content to a wider audience by publishing the material in generic format. This is made available in the form of easy to use 'learning nuggets' and is complimented with business development information licensed exclusively from one of the market's best-known providers, Bloomsbury. Echelon e-Learning provides the electronic systems which enable content to be published, distributed and usage tracked, and offers work-based solutions to a global audience. Now Echelon's blended learning based on a bespoke site populated with material selected to support specific courses, builds knowledge prior to the event and refreshes application when back at the desk. About Echelon Publishing Echelon technologies help organisations place solutions at people's fingertips, whether solving everyday business and work-related problems or helping gain qualifications and continued professional development. Echelon: Has a content management system enabling informational or learning material to be developed or converted into XML so that it can be published and distributed in text and/or via the web. Has a learning management system to provide ready access via the web to highly structured information, which is easily searched and retrieved, and whose usage can be tracked and learning logged. Publishes and/or reformats content for professional bodies and commercial organisations to help students and employees maintain or develop requisite skills throughout their careers. Supports people from the outset of their careers in working with professional bodies to develop and deliver the learning content required by students in preparing for examination. Frees up the knowledge and learning contained within a business so that people have ready access to these resources in helping them to solve problems or develop their careers. Works with a number of blue chip organisations and professional bodies, including: COMMERCIAL BUPA Coventry Building Society Lincoln Financial Moat House Hotels Modernisation Agency (NHS) Novartis Pharmaceuticals NHS Logistics Vodafone INSTITUTIONAL Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply Construction Industry Training Board Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators Institute of Chartered Accountants in E & W Institute of Civil Engineers Royal Town Planning Institute

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