Making the grade - distance learning - Company Business and Marketing

Communications News, Dec, 1999 by Carren Bersch

Continuing education is as close as your PC.

As 1999 draws to a close, the the accomplishments of the past 1,000 years. particularly those of the last 100 years, have been shared on television and radio programs, in hundreds of magazines, on the Internet, and through every other means of communication, including just plain old-fashioned word of mouth. The nostalgic look back is entertaining. The look forward is overwhelming. If we thought the past century was a crucible producing complex and far-reaching change, the year 2000 and beyond will stagger the imagination.

As we move from the Industrial Age to the Information or Digital Age, our global community is changing--every single aspect of our lives is changing--from how we shop to how we entertain ourselves to how we bank. There is one strikingly obvious fact: no matter who we are, where we live, or what we do, we will be required--simply by the nature of technology--to be continuously educated. That education will be innovative, invigorating, interesting--and convenient. In just the last 10 years, we have witnessed the implementation of many uses of high technology in the area of K-12 and college-level education, such as videoconferencing, electronic paper grading, visits to museum Web sites, and research on the Internet. It is not unusual for children as young as three and four to be computer literate.

But what about those of us who graduated and joined the workforce before the advent of computers and telecommunications? Will our traditional educations and our work experience see us through to that promised retirement? The answer is most likely no. What happens to those of us who followed a vocational education or dropped out of college or bypassed college altogether? If we are engaged in careers in retail, healthcare, or landscaping, do we need to worry about being re-educated? The answer is most likely yes. As the millennium approaches, will my resolutions for Year 2000 be influenced by all of these changes? The answer is most likely probably.

According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, by the year 2005, 75% of the workforce--90 million people--will need to be retrained. For most of us, the concept of distance learning arrived in the knick of time. After musing over futurist Alvin Toffler's definition of illiteracy in the 21st century-- "... those who cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn" --my curiosity about a telecommunications course offered near the office introduced me to the vast array of choices that are available under the "umbrella" of distance learning. David Mantica, Global Knowledge's WAN product line manager, graciously invited me to sample, in person, Telecommunications Fundamentals I and II, followed shortly thereafter by the same courses on line. Mantica's energy is seemingly unending as he juggles several responsibilities before and after our luncheon interview, then bounds off to catch a plane to his next appointment. With over 150 courses being taught on a weekly basis by Global Knowledge instructors, Mantica is constantly headed to another destination.

Global Knowledge fills many needs, including what is often termed "hightech blue-collar" training, Mantica told me. The company's concise and timely courses facilitate employees' training and/or continuing education; its tuition fees are nominal compared to traditional methods. Most of the participants in my two instructor-led two-day workshops were technicians, network managers, or administrators newly charged with purchasing equipment and/or services. The room was filled to capacity with attendants from Alaska to Buffalo, from St. Louis to Puerto Rico, from food processing companies to a home-shopping network to an international bank, who kept instructor Don Hill engaged in answering questions during breaks, at lunch, and before and alter classes. On the last day of class, two of Hill's students claimed their proudest moment when "We finally asked a question he couldn't answer!" The class laughed in total surprise. Theirs appeared to be a monumental endeavor--stumping their professor--for Hill was well organized, extremely knowledgeable, and down-to-earth personable.

With live satellite course delivery still highly expensive and limiting in terms of target audience participation, Global Knowledge Network, a privately held company, has pulled out all the stops to become the largest internetworking education company in the world with its recent acquisition of GeoTrain Corp., the second largest worldwide education partner of Cisco Systems. Aside from its Web-delivered classes, Global Knowledge offers hands-on classroom training and certification, consulting and project management for medium and large corporations, and a wide range of self-paced technology-enhanced learning programs (including on-line delivery). With

[check] 1,000 employees worldwide;

[check] an excess of 350 instructor-led courses (130 of these exclusive to Global Knowledge);

[check] over 1,500 self-paced and multimedia programs on CD-ROM, videotape and audiotape, and text formats; and