NFIB

Web-Based Training Can Turn Your Workplace Into a Classroom
11/ 25/ 2002

by Tamara Holmes

It's hard to find someone who does not benefit from corporate training. Your business will profit from having employees who are better equipped to handle day-to-day tasks, while your employees will gain new skills and see their corporate values rise.

But while training in and of itself is a win-win situation, the logistics involved can create something of a headache for small business owners. In many cases, certified trainers must be brought onto a business's premises, or employees must be given time to travel off-site to take courses. In either case, travel expenses and productivity are issues that small business owners must deal with as they attempt to juggle the training process with their employees' daily tasks.

However, a growing number of companies are finding that the Internet makes continuing education more readily available via the plethora of Web-based corporate training services that are now available.

The benefits of Web-based training can be enormous.

• Online coursework can be completed whenever employees have time to do it; they don't have to wrap their schedules around a fixed set of hours. As a result, learning can take place during downtime when a high level of productivity is not needed.
• The company does not have to pay travel costs associated with sending employees somewhere to attend a training session.
• The company does not have to pay travel costs associated with bringing a corporate trainer to the premises to teach a class.
• The work is more focused, with no room for side conversations and distractions that might come up in a classroom setting.

But where does a company find a Web-based training service? A good place to start is by checking with trade groups and associations that cater toward small businesses, says Brandon Hall, CEO of e-learning consulting firm brandon-hall.com. They often can recommend online training services that may be of benefit to their members.

A simple Internet search would also yield a list of companies that offer online training services. One Web site -- www.worldwidelearn.com -- provides a list of online training companies and even categorizes the information by subject area, so if your company is an accounting firm, you can easily find online accounting courses that are available.

There are courses with "content on every conceivable topic whether it's medical training or oceanic safety training," says Hall.

Pricing models for Web-based training courses vary. Some services offer pay-as-you-go pricing, while others charge a subscription rate for ongoing classes. Hall says that many small businesses might find it more affordable to find a pay-as-you-go service since they'd only be paying for whatever they decide to use.

There is a down side to online training services, Hall says. You lose the benefit of getting away from the workplace, and much of the interaction with classmates is lost. Unlike online educational courses, which often have a chatroom component that lets classmates discuss lessons, online training courses tend to focus on giving individuals information one-on-one with little collaboration among classmates.

But despite the drawbacks, Hall says, the payoff of online training is still there for small businesses.

"All companies need to train," he says. And with online training services, business owners can do so in a less expensive and more convenient manner.

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