We’re always looking at innovative ways to use technology to better our systems. And when it comes to driver training, it’s no different.

Through our search for the best learning tools on the market, our Learning and Development Team discovered the New Zealand Police Training College were also looking to improve their driver training systems – taking them from paper-based to fully digital.

For many years, both organisations recorded their driver assessments entirely by hand. Thousands of these evaluations had to be manually processed, which inevitably involved a huge amount of processing and time. In 2022, we came across Catalyst, experts in open source solutions that customise the Tōtara Talent Experience Platform (TXP) for businesses.

Catalyst developed the OJT (on-the-job training) system for Tōtara, a means for employees to gain relevant skills or qualifications while working. The OJT plugin can be accessed by our drivers in-cab via a tablet, and allows learners to electronically record evidence of a skill or practice – work that otherwise would have been done manually.

Since adopting the OJT system, HWR and NZ Police have had great success. The two worked together to identify what features could improve the plugin further. And, because the Tōtara plugin is open source, their collaboration meant both organisations would benefit from new feature builds to the plugin.

HWR has used OJT to replace most of our assessments. Now, our trainers work paperless and don’t have to store their assessments. The OJT plugin provided the connection HWR needed between personal (individualised records), digital (completed with technology), and physical (practical assessment) learning.

Since the launch of the OJT system, 3088 assessments have been completed by HWR drivers across New Zealand. As for what’s next, we look forward to exploring how our relationship with Catalyst and Tōtara can further improve our processes.