'Share more, learn more'. Those are the shared values at the heart of the famous carpool company Blablacar. Through its slogan, Blablacar aims to encourage all its employees to share their knowledge. To do so, various activities and tools were developed. EPALE France shows you four innovative staff training initiatives. 

1/  Tell me about your work experiences

Learning through experience and the in-house sharing of knowledge are not neglected at Blablacar.  This takes the form of a compulsory weekly meeting, bringing all the company's employees together (including those abroad) for an exchange on everyone's experiences. From good practice to the difficulties encountered by a colleague, all the aspects of the company's business can be considered. The famous company believes that it is through the exchange of practices between peers that it can plan for its staff in-house training.  

2/E-learning specific to the company

'BlaBla Learn' is the name of the e-learning programme developed by and for Blablacar's employees; its objective is to train newcomers within the company.
By and for employees? In fact, every department invests in the creation of video capsules to present its activities and train new members of company staff.
It’s a peer-to-peer training, where those in charge of the department and its employees build the contents of the training programmes for themselves. When newcomers find themselves together for the first time, they can question one another directly, discussing the content of their training.

3/Bring in-house expertise together

Every two months, the company organises conferences which bring together employees with the same expertise. This meeting is the chance for each one to share best practice. Blablacar has no lack of original ideas for sharing its staff's knowledge, such as, for example, 'BlaBlaWiki'. With its name inspired by the famous on-line encyclopedia, this virtual space contains knowledge shared in-house. In practical terms, BlablaWiki is a collaborative form of software between teams which allows employees to share their projects, whether the results are ready or not.  The aim is that each person can be freely inspired by the work of the company's teams.

4/  Train yourself, yes, but by going abroad!

Site visits are arranged outside the company, at experts' meetings on particular themes. These 'Learning Expeditions' are generally arranged abroad: Silicone Valley in particular is one of Blablacar's favourite destinations. Staff develop their knowledge on a specific subject, and in return can benefit their colleagues. The international movement doesn't stop there!  With the BlaBlaSwap initiative, employees have a chance to go to work for a week in one of the offices which puts the company on the world map.  São-Paulo, Moscow, Delhi - these are just some of the places where every staff member can contemplate his mobility.

Establishing spaces for sharing and exchanging is a way for companies, professional structures, to invest in training. The knowledge which exists in each of our staff members can be shared by everyone. This sharing, of good and bad experiences,c an only help to develop new ideas, for the benefit of all, and in an teaching organisation.   

And you? What innovative method(s) do you use for life-long learning in your professional activity?

This article was produced in collaboration with the Fédération pour la Formation Professionnelle (FFP - French Federation for vocational training). Blablacar spokeswoman Laure Wagner took part in the Human Resources and Vocational Training: Investments in Competitiveness' seminar which took place on 18 November 2016, organised by the FFP. See also the FFP Green Book " La formation change de dimensions. Les entreprises témoignent et proposent".