Online learning and your firm

In the harsh trading environment that we are all operating in, it may seem tempting to cut training programmes to free financial resources. The short-term results of this may prove positive; however you will be heading for a demoralised and disillusioned workforce at a time when efficiency is the key.

A Learning and Skills Council report earlier this year evidenced this potential situation when it identified that 46% of employees felt more motivated when a training programme is in place. Furthermore 45% felt more valued within the company.

To achieve the optimum balance between reduced training budgets and high morale, some small firms are investing in IT training rather than divesting. They have chosen to use the cost-effective training platform of online learning.

Online learning is a highly cost-effective learning platform ideal for addressing skills gaps in the workforce and significantly reducing training times. Not to be confused with e-learning, online learning does not require expensive internal systems to be implemented but instead is a wholly internet-based experience. In fact all you need is a computer with internet access and you and your staff can access training anytime, anywhere in the world.

Being entirely web-based is part of the appeal to businesses that have already adopted the platform, as providers can offer high standards of training at a low cost. In direct comparison with instructor-led training (ILT), online courses can offer you a substantial cost saving. You could, for example, save over £4,000 per user on Microsoft Certification training by using online learning when compared to a comparative ILT package.

In addition to the direct course-for-course price saving, online learning is far more economical when it comes to auxiliary costs. The nature of the platform means that you will not have to cover the ever increasing fuel and travel costs nor pay for accommodation.

Online learning instead entrusts your staff with responsibility for their own training, allowing flexible training times and convenience to both you and your employees. This enables people to be in the office during the working day and train during quiet periods or out-of-office hours. Research by C.B.Learning into online learning user activity shows the popularity of flexible training hours, with over a third of all user logins between the hours of 5pm and 8am.

Financially online learning has strong cost-effective benefits, but what about the practicality of using it as part of the training programme? Businesses have historically had concerns with e-learning methodologies. How do you keep staff from reconfiguring internal live systems, how do on-disc simulations provide real experience of solving practical problems, how can the learning programme be managed? Online learning has thankfully solved many of these issues.

To keep internal IT systems safe while providing staff with hands-on practice is a predicament for any business. This is why some online learning courses, such as official Microsoft Online Learning, come complete with Virtual Labs technology.

This is a web-based learning system (accessed via the internet) that enables direct connectivity with live remote equipment in a real, risk-free environment, allowing you to virtually configure and control a working system from the office (or even home) at any time. You can practice solving real-problem scenarios, reinforce skills and apply newfound knowledge by using a bank of servers and infrastructure without the risk of corrupting any internal systems.

For obvious reasons online learning does not come complete with an instructor who oversees the training programme. Instead many online learning providers utilise a learning management system (LMS). This provides you with quick access to organisation, learner and course-based reports which offer comprehensive reporting and tracking of enrolled users. You can see which employees are not completing enrolled courses and see which are on course for the project deadline.

So if you're a business that is looking to create a more efficient and cost-effective IT training programme that keeps employees motivated it would make sense in today's financial climate to consider online learning. It offers premium level training, low prices, and unrivalled convenience and flexibility benefits - all in a managed and risk-free environment.