Watura, is a firm that specialises both in the provision of technical training for those working on the operational level in the water and sanitation sector (WASH) and services to companies to digitalise their training content.
From expanded reach to more sustainable practices: the multiple benefits of going digital for a French training SME
Abstract
Background
Watura is a small French enterprise employing 20 people and mostly operating in the water and sanitation sector. Founded in 2010, Watura has over 10 years of experience in providing training for those working in the water and sanitation sector. They transitioned to an online learning platform in 2019 and their offer now includes trainings in three languages with over 100 training modules available in French, 35+ modules in Spanish, and 30+ modules in English.
Challenge
Before digitalising their training content, Watura noticed that training in the water and sanitation sector tended to be focused on the managers and leaders. The latter are then expected to share the information with workers at the operational level.
In order to address this problem, Watura launched an e-learning platform that would increase the accessibility of their trainings to all workers. The acquisition of skills is a lifelong process and upskilling and reskilling of workers is recognized as essential to protect adults from some of the potentially negative effects of automation and globalisation. However, according to OECD research, there are multiple barriers to be overcome, particularly in terms of accessibility, and added difficulties can be observed for lower skilled or older populations (OECD, 2019[1]).
Digitalisation Path
In 2019, just before the pandemic, Watura decided to create an e-learning platform to make technical training more accessible in the water and sanitation sector, especially to those working on the operational level. Their e-learning platform is based upon a learning management system (LMS), making their training content available on demand for their students. It also allows managers to follow the progress of their workers by assigning them specific courses and seeing the modules that they’ve completed. Online learning solutions allows for greater flexibility allowing time-constrained workers to participate in trainings that would have otherwise been inaccessible to them. According to data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 44% of adult population in OECD countries participating in PIAAC mentioned shortage of time as the most important reason for non-participation in adult learning programmes (OECD, 2020[2]). The importance of investing in digital infrastructure and adjusting teaching methods to enable remote learning and meet the needs of specific was further highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic (OECD, 2021[3]).
Approach
Watura observed that offering their trainings via an e-learning platform allowed them to reach customers across borders and reduce their environmental footprint.
Watura currently works with water utility companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America and holds the first ever e-learning platform that’s dedicated to training people working on the operational level of the water and sanitation sector. The digitalisation of their activities has therefore facilitated the company’s growth beyond France and led them to collaborate with institutions such as the French Development Agency, the World Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and UNIDO among others.
Government Support
Watura benefitted from funding from the “Fond d’études et d’aide au secteur privé” (FASEP) administered by the French Treasury.
Intended primarily for SMEs, the FASEP is a grant to finance feasibility studies or the demonstration of green and innovative technologies and is designed as a support system for the internationalization of French companies, it allows the company carrying out the study to demonstrate the effectiveness of its methods and to acquire a reference in the partner country (Ministère de l'Économie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté Industrielle et Numérique, 2023[4]).
Watura made use of this grant to adapt and develop their platform from French to Spanish, which helped their development in Latin America and did this by experimenting their solution with SAGUAPAC - a water and sanitation cooperative in Bolivia.
To learn more about SMEs digital transformation
OECD (2021), The Digital Transformation of SMEs, OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurship, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/bdb9256a-en.
OECD (2021), SME Digitalisation to Build Back Better, https://doi.org/10.1787/f493861e-en
References
[4] Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté Industrielle et Numérique (2023), Le FASEP, https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/services-aux-entreprises/le-fasep (accessed on 2 January 2023).
[3] OECD (2021), “Adult Learning and COVID-19: How much informal and non-formal learning are workers missing?”, OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/adult-learning-and-covid-19-how-much-informal-and-non-formal-learning-are-workers-missing-56a96569/ (accessed on 2 January 2023).
[2] OECD (2020), Increasing Adult Learning Participation: Learning from Successful Reforms, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/cf5d9c21-en.
[1] OECD (2019), Getting Skills Right: Future-Ready Adult Learning Systems, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264311756-en.
