What is "eLearning" and why is it so important?

Ask yourself the following:

• How many potential and existing customers now go to your competitors due to feeling you don't care enough?
• How much effort and resource expended does not directly contribute to the organisation's success?
• How many problems go unsolved, are ignored or even go undetected?  How do people feel about this?

Then consider:

• How many customers, by mistake, were handled by a technician, an administrator, a cleaner, a manager?
• If you posed as a customer, would your organisation's contact listen to you, respond and act correctly?
• Do your sales, production, HR, finance, IT and other departments appreciate and support each other?

There is always room for improvement!  Well trained people give you an edge and may even enable survival!

So, what do we need?

A way of training individuals at all levels in the organisation, whether professional, specialist, clerical, manual or supervisory, that has minimal disturbance on their "day job" and which is accessible, focused and effective.

Not everyone responds to a classroom nor does a "one size fits all" work.  We must include the "classroom shy", "formal training averse", late developers, special needs and disabled as well as the gifted and fast-learners.

We need to help each individual realise their full potential, to directly benefit the business as a whole.  Subjects must cover communication, customer awareness, teamwork, problem solving, difficult situations and "soft skills".

What does eLearning offer?

Self paced, interactive, audio visual courses (where appropriate, supported by workshops), accessible from work desks (Web, CD), or designated training facilities (if touch screens / pointing devices needed), or even at home (Web, CD).

Minimal disruption, due to availability both outside or inside work hours, using less busy periods or breaks, reduced travel (cost and time) to offsite training establishments,

eLearning must still be integrated into each organisation's career development process and must be effectively monitored.  Students must also be provided with adequate support and mentoring.