The resulting eLearning platform, with customized content, presents new ideas to those learning English as a foreign language and reinforces their existing knowledge. Learners receive consistent written feedback and individual coaching to enable them to develop linguistic confidence, along with correct grammar and spelling.

One consequence of operating 81 plants in 21 countries is that not all of O-I's employees speak English as their native language. However, over the last few years, it has become company policy that an increasing proportion of its workforce attains a level of proficiency in English. This has been prompted by global business practice, as well as the need to facilitate worldwide communication between O-I employees along with their clients around the world.

"English is a key development opportunity for all of our employees", said Emanuela Zappone, Vice President for Leadership and Organization for O-I.

"We realized that we needed a learning program that was geared towards the glassmaking industry, while still providing a solid foundation in business English", she continued. "In addition, we wanted a learning program that was personalized to the needs of each employee's job."

The O-I employees who needed English training ranged from factory workers to executives, so a "one-size-fits-all" English solution was out of the question.

So, in 2009, O-I contacted goFLUENT, and they collaborated in designing "ENGLISH@O-I", a blended training solution in learning English that comprises

• an eLearning platform with customized content in the form of videos, articles, and quizzes for the glassmaking industry;
• courses delivered via thirty-minute telephone sessions with a live native English-speaking trainer to help train the learner's ear to make English conversation more natural;
• online written coaching with feedback from a live native English-speaking trainer.

Attracting increasing numbers of learners each year, the program has currently enabled almost 1,000 people to become fluent in English.

To date, the employees participating in ENGLISH@O-I have taken part in more than 20,000 phone lessons. Moreover, 99% of the learners and of O-I's HR professionals have expressed their satisfaction with ENGLISH@O-I.

Aline Estevant, Vice President of Human Resources for O-I Europe, commented, "What I like about ENGLISH@O-I is that it's not a goFLUENT product and it's not an O-I product. Rather, it's a good hybrid of teaching resources that are built around content that's relevant to employees' professional development. Furthermore, the resources are top notch in terms of technology - and that's something to get excited about."

Having been such a success in Europe, O-I is now piloting ENGLISH@O-I in Latin America and will soon include its Asian operation in the program.