Using Online Courses To Improve Employee Skills
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and, to stay on top, you need your workforce to possess the latest and greatest skills. You’d love to send them on a few courses to update their know-how, but the scheduling problems would be a nightmare. Or would they? Thanks to the cornucopia of classes offered online, your employee could acquire the training they long for–and, desperately need–when it’s most convenient.
Nothing beats the hours offered by online educators.
In fact, there are a myriad of benefits associated with using online education to upgrade your employees’ skill sets.
Logistics
It would be ideal if your employees could schedule their coursework around work and not the other way around. Well, thanks to the flexible, round-the-clock hours offered by internet-based education programs, your workers can do exactly that. Many courses run year-round, which means you will not have to operate within the confines of a regular semester. And, with the ability to access these courses anywhere in the world, your employees can continue their studies–even when you’ve sent them overseas to close an important deal.
Finances
Employee training can be an expensive endeavor. Not only do you have to contend with tuition fees, but you may also have to reimburse your staff member for mileage and parking costs. Online courses, however, can provide substantial financial relief. While you will, obviously, save on the expenses associated with travel to and from the educational institution, the Education Portal’s “Benefits and Advantages of Online Learning” states that “some online programs cost less per credit hour” than their counterparts offered in bricks and mortar settings.
Networking
Sometimes getting ahead in the world of business is all about who you know–and, by engaging in online study, your employee can gain important contacts that may prove valuable to your company. Not only will your worker be able to share ideas with other students, but some online programs enable learners to connect with some of the globe’s most pre-eminent instructors and specialists in their field.
Bonus Learning
No matter what subject matter your employee is studying, the very nature of an online course also means that they will be enhancing their typing, Internet, and communication skills. Their self-efficacy when dealing with new technologies will greatly improve. And, according to “7 Tips for Succeeding in your Online Education Program” students who engage in distance learning become more aware of “netiquette”–realizing that they should not type in all caps (unless they intend to shout), use hard-to-read fonts, or submit correspondence without thoroughly proofreading it first.
Relevance
Are you in a fast-paced industry that changes quicker than a viper can strike? Internet-based courses are much better able to update course materials with the latest information. While traditional classes pour over expensive texts that can only be updated by releasing a new edition, online courses can updated by simply uploading the newest information.
Self-Paced
Unlike students who attend a traditional classroom, online learners can control the pace at which they move through course material. If they encounter concepts that they already know, they can skip ahead. And, when faced with lessons that they find more difficult, they can slow down and do extra work. A prime example would be the University of Colorado‘s Continuing Education Departments’ six-month time limit for completing an online course. If a student successfully completes all of their coursework in less time, they are free to do other things–like start another course.
If your staff is in desperate need of improving their skill sets, online learning may prove a viable way to get the job done. After all, your company can only perform as well as the people that drive it.
Have you used online training to upgrade an employee’s skills? What were the results?