European Tyre Enterprise Limited (ETEL) is one of the largest international automotive service and tyre distribution groups. Headquartered in the UK and operating across four European markets, ETEL was founded in 2011, when a number of long-established tyre and automotive businesses were brought together by the ITOCHU Corporation.

ETEL’s mission is to support organisations, businesses, and individuals by contributing to safe, efficient, affordable, and sustainable mobility. To achieve its objectives, ETEL delivers training to 7,500 employees across the UK and Europe.

733%

increase in course completions over 3 years

90%

learner completion rates

6.5

Average enrollments per learner

Seamless integration with Cornerstone Saba LMS

ETEL manages all training programmes using the Cornerstone Saba Learning Management System (LMS). After evaluating several content marketplaces, the company chose OpenSesame for its extensive course library and seamless integration with their LMS.

“Integrating OpenSesame with Cornerstone Saba LMS was straightforward, and delivering content is as easy as selecting courses and making them available to employees,” notes Nigel Bowler, Group Head of Learning and Development at ETEL. “The OpenSesame team provided excellent support during the integration, and since then, we’ve had no need for technical assistance. Regular meetings with the OpenSesame Customer Success team help us continuously improve our platform usage and ensure our success.”

OpenSesame’s course library allows ETEL to quickly adapt to changing training requirements without creating content from scratch or navigating lengthy approval cycles. Bowler continues: “When legislation changes, we can promptly source relevant courses from the OpenSesame catalogue and track compliance across the organisation.”

Leadership training: meeting diverse needs

“Our focus is on leadership development, business skills, and Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, as well as compliance,” explains Bowler. “The training needs vary significantly across different parts of the business, roles, and countries.”

ETEL provides the OpenSesame course catalogue to all employees, prioritising essential mandatory training to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements. Beyond this, the company champions voluntary training, empowering employees with opportunities for skill development and personal growth. “We highlight specific courses each month on various topics,” Bowler shares. “For instance, we promoted neurodiversity courses during Neurodiversity Week in the UK.”

To ensure inclusivity, ETEL promotes courses through email for office-based employees and primarily uses internal radio, along with providing mobile access, to reach service centre staff who may not have regular computer access. This approach saw record course completion rates among service centre employees during the recent ‘Learning at Work’ week.

Driving engagement through diverse content

ETEL values the breadth and depth of the OpenSesame catalogue, which enables high engagement across diverse categories. Since starting with OpenSesame in 2021, course completions have increased from 6,000 to 50,000, with plans to expand further next year.

“We view the OpenSesame catalogue as an employee benefit, offering a valuable resource for skill development,” Bowler explains. “Our learners are highly engaged, with completion rates rising rapidly and course ratings reflecting positive experiences. Current statistics show completion rates at 90%, with an average of 6.5 enrolments per learner per year across 7,500 users. Notably, our top 50 most active users are completing between 30 and 100 courses annually.”

Popular course categories include business skills, DEI, wellness, and compliance topics such as modern slavery, data protection, and sexual harassment.

Future plans

“Our employees are eager for more training opportunities,” says Bowler. “While maintaining broad access, we plan to adopt a more targeted approach, highlighting strategic development areas and the use of certifications.”

ETEL is committed to showcasing the impact of its learning programmes by enhancing Return on Investment assessments and aligning these efforts with improvements in employee engagement. “Our goal is to highlight the value of our training initiatives as an integral part of our broader learning and development strategy,” concludes Bowler.

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