On-demand courses
Virgin Media O2's upskilling journey with Mpirical
Written in partnership with Mobile World Live
Executive summary
As organisations strive to bridge skills gaps and adapt to technological advancements, training emerges as a critical enabler of success. Virgin Media O2’s partnership with Mpirical exemplifies the transformative power of training in navigating corporate transitions and driving organisational excellence. From enhancing technical expertise to fostering collaboration, Mpirical’s comprehensive training solutions empower telecom professionals to thrive in an ever-changing industry landscape.
Background
The merger of Virgin Media and O2 UK in 2021 marked the birth of Virgin Media O2, a telecom giant with millions of subscribers and a workforce exceeding 18,000. Amidst this monumental transition, the company faced various challenges typical of corporate mergers, from organizational integration and restructuring to ensuring critical market-leading projects remained on track throughout.
Mpirical's training platform
Mpirical’s O2 Academy, which had served as a cornerstone of training for O2 employees, was seamlessly transitioned to Virgin Media O2, offering access to Mpirical’s extensive repository of over 1,500 training videos and interactive content. This all-encompassing platform, facilitated by Mpirical’s Learning Management System, emerged as a vital tool for the now Virgin Media O2 engineers to navigate the complexities of evolving technologies.
Challenges faced by Virgin Media O2
Central to Virgin Media O2's success was the integration of training into its core processes. Mpirical's LearningZone, with its user-friendly interface and customizable options, played a pivotal role in addressing challenges such as project deadline management and ensuring consistent quality. Engineers, equipped with Mpirical's training, reported significant time savings and improved productivity in their day-to-day tasks.
"The layout of the Mpirical website is simple to use and effective. The courses are great, and work very well enabling the user to dip in and out of training when convenient" (Network Innovation Consultant at Virgin Meda O2).
Project example: Fixed vs. Mobile Networks
As Virgin Media O2 bridged the gap between fixed and mobile networks post-merger, Mpirical's comprehensive courses facilitated a shared understanding among engineers with diverse skills and experiences. Through interactive, visual reference training tools like NetX, employees gained practical insights into complex telecom scenarios, enhancing their problem-solving abilities and technical proficiency.
"I have been onboarded as a new apprentice so was starting out fresh and in need of some job specific background around the specific technologies Virgin Media O2 employ such as MiMo solutions" adding, "core network knowledge using NetX was also great for then further understanding how [the] core network operated" (Virgin Media O2 Radio Planner).
Unexpected outcomes
Beyond technical training, Mpirical's platform also fostered a culture of collaboration and communication within the group. Engineers noted increased delivery efficiency and improved interdepartmental understanding, underscoring the broader impact of training on organizational dynamics.
"We've noticed a general increase in delivery of sites since members of our team have used Mpirical courses as it helps us communicate more efficiently with other departments and gives everyone an understanding of what other departments do within their roles" (Employee at Virgin Media O2).
Results and benefits
Mpirical's learning tools supported Virgin Media O2 in successfully deploying new 5G technology while ensuring continuity in existing services. By providing tailored training solutions, Mpirical served as the linchpin in upskilling their workforce, enabling a seamless transition amidst organizational restructuring.
"It provided me with the support I needed when getting into the telecoms industry and I’m certain I'll use it going forwards too” (Radio Planner at Virgin Media O2).
Looking ahead
New technologies are generally rolled out in phases. Every layer of the tech stack needs to be understood, including how each interacts with previous generations of technology. There are some clear skills gaps within service providers when it comes to older technologies. An April 2023 report by Manpower found that 42% of telecoms businesses were reporting a specialist digital or IT skills gap in the external labour market, and 45% say they have identified the same skills deficit within their current workforce.
Mpirical is constantly reviewing and improving its products to fill skills gaps within the industry. Operating in an industry characterized by rapid growth and change, Mpirical aims to enable students in realizing a more successful journey in terms of grasping concepts through innovative learning methods. As part of its ongoing commitment to meeting the learning demands of the workforce, it has launched a new, hands-on lab environment called NetXLabs. This lab allows users to generate Wireshark traces, create individual AWS Lab instances, and more importantly, interact with the device and gNB simulator in real-time.
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“When I arrived in the industry 2G was well established and 3G had started to evolve. I've seen the introduction and the success of 4G, and I've seen the introduction of 5G but I've yet to see the full potential of 5G. Our 5G courses are very popular. We're pretty dynamic when it comes to creating new course material, and we keep it as up to date as possible,”
Gavin MitchellChief Operating Officer, Mpirical
And while service providers and the industry as a whole works hard to implement new technology in a continuous drive for competitive advantage, it will also strike a balance to manage and maintain the multiple layers of technology built up over decades that serve and satisfy existing subscribers.
Organizations can leverage Mpirical not only for general training but for custom solutions, for example using NetX to represent an operator’s network for enhanced training.
In addition to developing specific courses to cater to business needs, Mpirical also offers a dedicated Learning Engagement Manager to enhance students’ experiences through coaching and mentoring. Since introducing their Learning Engagement Manager, Mpirical has seen a marked change in student engagement through increased logins to the LearningZone and improvements in clients’ ROI through time saved.
Conclusion
As organizations strive to bridge skills gaps and adapt to technological advancements, training emerges as a critical enabler of success. Virgin Media O2's partnership with Mpirical exemplifies the transformative power of training in navigating corporate transitions and driving organizational excellence. From enhancing technical expertise to fostering collaboration, Mpirical's comprehensive training solutions empower telecom professionals to thrive in an ever-changing industry landscape.
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