PepsiCo UK is rolling out the first phase of a programme to offer employees flexible e-learning in desktop IT skills.

The soft drink and snack food giant is encouraging staff across the company to log on and learn after signing an e-learning partnership with Thomson NETg.

Under the programme, PepsiCo staff will be able to access interactive IT training courses on a self-service basis. To encourage take-up, the company is promoting the initiative internally using posters, leaflets, email promotions, taster sessions and interactive quizzes.

Gill Haggarty, PepsiCo UK's IT personal productivity manager, said: "Employees can set up their own training plans and our site HR administrators will have access to training reports so they can see how people are progressing."

Among the Thomson NETg courses available to PepsiCo employees are the European Computer Driving Licence and training in various Microsoft Office skills.

Staff can access the courses on CD-Rom or online via a web browser at the times and locations most convenient to them. "I anticipate staff will take training more frequently and in smaller sessions, enabling them to put what they learn into practice straight away," said Haggarty.

The online courses are fully hosted by Thomson NETg and accessed through a portal customised with PepsiCo's branding. The company said it opted for a managed service to improve flexibility and cut the need for additional investment in IT infrastructure.

It hopes the programme will improve IT literacy throughout the organisation and help to drive growth. The initiative is part of a blended learning approach at PepsiCo which also includes instructor-led classes, training clinics and IT roadshows.

The initial roll-out, to 500 staff at PepsiCo UK's head office in Theale, is due to be completed by the end of August. Haggarty anticipates wider use of e-learning by the company in future.

"We plan to create our own contentn as well as utilise other providers of learning packages to cover a broad range of skills areas, from basic numeracy and literacy to sales and marketing support," she said.