Global organisations must rethink how they develop talent to stay ahead in a world shaped by digital transformation, innovation, and agility. Bata—a brand in over 70 countries—is rising to the challenge with one of its most ambitious learning initiatives yet: Bata e-University. Described by Bata’s Chief Human Capital Officer, Luc Valentin, as a “powerful enabler,” the program is designed to fuel career growth at every level while driving business impact. “We believe learning to have growth, not just for individuals, but for our entire company,” said Valentin. “That's why we launched Bata e-University, a global digital platform designed to equip our employees with the skills they need to thrive in a changing world that is accessible and engaging.” 

However, a transformation of this scale required a strong foundation and a dynamic learning partner. That’s where Skillsoft stepped in as a key enabler and trusted collaborator.

As part of the Skill Shift Series—curated by Skillsoft and People Matters—this case study explores how Bata has successfully leveraged digital learning to build an agile, capable, and confident workforce, powered by Skillsoft’s innovative learning solutions. 

Bata e-University: A global learning vision

For Pooja Marwah,  who is the Global Head of Talent Management at Bata and the key cog of this initiative, what sets this initiative apart isn’t just its global scale, but the sharp strategic focus behind it. “This is one of Bata's most ambitious learning initiatives to date. Bata e-University is a global platform reaching close to 5000 employees across all functions and regions globally,” she added. 

Marwah also explained that Bata e-University’s focus is on four key areas, which include leadership development, i.e. training our future leaders; functional capability, which focuses on increasing technical knowledge base through Bata-specific training programs across product, e-commerce, marketing, finance etc.; digital and tech skills, which aims to prepare teams for a digital-first world through digital learning and retail & customer excellence which through fundamental and advanced retail training programs aims to strengthen Bata’s frontline capabilities.

 “These pillars aim to equip employees with the tools to lead, innovate, and deliver exceptional results in a digital-first world,” added Marwah.

Yet, launching an initiative of this scale came with challenges, which included ensuring accessibility across regions, curating content for diverse roles, and fostering a culture of learning. This is where the partnership with Skillsoft came in handy, powering Bata with the necessary tools to achieve their building a scalable learning ecosystem.

Skillsoft and Bata: Building a scalable learning ecosystem

To address these challenges, Bata turned to Skillsoft, whose innovative digital solutions played a transformative role in scaling Bata e-University into a global, accessible platform. Skillsoft’s expertise enabled the customisation and localisation needed for a multinational workforce.

“A partnership with Skillsoft has been a game changer. Their extensive digital learning solutions helped us build a dynamic and scalable platform,” said Marwah.

Through Skillsoft’s Percipio platform, Bata created a branded and intuitive learning experience supporting leadership development, business acumen, and certification attainment. Pooja highlighted that the intuitive nature of Percipio allowed for customising Bata e-University’s architecture to reflect brand guidelines while curating exhaustive content aligned with leadership and functional capability goals.

Marwah also added that Percipio enabled them to develop exhaustive leadership and business courses for the employees that could help them attain key industry certifications, thereby spreading their management pipeline across the organisation. 

The platform was also supported by 24/7 local technical and customer support, ensuring seamless access for learners across geographies. This encouraged the employees to apply their news skills in real time, helping them in their career growth. 

Quantifying the impact of the Bata–Skillsoft partnership

When asked about the partnership’s impact, Pooja summarised it in three areas: higher engagement, increased confidence, and a culture of self-driven learning. In 2024 alone, learners earned over 13,000 badges, spending more than 37,000 hours on the platform; a good example of how Skillsoft’s digital innovative solutions made the necessary difference. Moreover, employees began applying the new skills in real time, which also directly impacted their performance and career progression in the organisation.

The partnership also enabled Bata to monitor key metrics to measure how learning translates into performance and cultural shifts.

“Measuring success is critical, and we track several key indicators: completion and adoption rates—are employees actively using the Bata e-University platform? Two, skill application—are they applying what they learn in their roles? Third, employee feedback and satisfaction—are the programs relevant and impactful? Business performance matrix—are we seeing improvement in productivity, innovation and leadership effectiveness? These insights help us continuously refine and improve the learning experience,” said Marwah.

The business impact of Bata - Skillsoft Partnership

When asked about the broader business impact, it was outlined how learning has become a catalyst for organisational growth. “The impact has been significant. Bata e-University has helped boost productivity, enhance leadership capabilities and improve business performance,” she said.

Bata e-University, which is powered by Skillsoft’s innovative digital solutions, is now deeply embedded across HR processes, functional learning frameworks, and leadership development initiatives.

“We are seeing seamless integration and utilisation of the learning platform across various HR processes; targeted functional learning programs tailored to Bata-specific needs; more confident, skilled employees being prepared for leadership roles.”

Through Skillsoft’s tools like Percipio, Bata created personalised learning paths that increased employee motivation and enthusiasm. The effect was directly proportional to the strong alignment between learning and business goals, leading to a more agile, future-ready workforce. 

Marwah also added that investing in learning has not only developed employee potential but has also enhanced the organisation’s ability to innovate, compete, and grow globally.

What lies ahead for Bata and Skillsoft

Looking ahead, this successful partnership is focused on further enhancing the learning experience by launching more role-based learning journeys, increasing content localisation, and leveraging AI for personalised coaching and feedback. The company also plans to strengthen integration between learning, HR, and performance systems to ensure alignment with business goals.

“Our goal is to make learning a natural part of how we work,” said Marwah. “With Skillsoft as a partner, we are confident in our ability to keep pace with market changes and prepare our workforce for whatever comes next.”