Training Magazine Announces 2003 Training Top 100 and Leadership Alliance

Business Wire, August 1, 2002

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2002

Training magazine is embarking on the third annual Training Top 100 -- recognizing 100 companies that understand, embrace and use training not only to deliver business results but also to support their corporate values and enhance the work lives of their people.

To help bring the 2003 Training Top 100 to life, Training magazine created the Leadership Alliance -- an elite group of the training industry's leading suppliers that were invited to participate because they possess as one of their corporate values a true belief that training can make a difference in any organization. The 2003 Leadership Alliance includes: Sun Educational Services, Crisp Learning, Jones International University, WebEx Communications, Inc., Macromedia, CPP, LearnKey and Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions.

"The most obvious change since last year's program is the economy. But even in this far different climate, the Top 100 companies have managed to maintain an unparalleled commitment to workforce development," explains Tammy Galvin, executive editor of Training magazine. "Consequently, some 90 percent of the Top 100 companies strategically align personal development plans with overall corporate missions, goals and objectives, while simultaneously providing ample opportunities for individuals to grow and prosper in ways that they desire." This year's top five honorees in descending order are Pfizer Inc., Capital One Financial Corp., AmeriCredit, IBM and KLA-Tencor Corp.

"It was an honor for us to present the 2002 Training Top 100 awards to companies that live and breathe their corporate values. You feel the aura, the commitment and energy when you're with them. Such companies are infectious," adds Stacey Marmolejo, publisher. "The support of the Leadership Alliance allows us to recognize often unacknowledged people in a spectacular way. The Leadership Alliance is there with us because they, too, believe training can make a difference in any organization."

Training magazine, along with the 2003 Leadership Alliance, will announce the 2003 Training Top 100 at an awards ceremony in Atlanta on February 23, 2003. Meet the member companies:

Training magazine is a 38-year old professional development magazine that advocates training and workforce development as a business tool. It delves into management issues such as leadership and succession planning, human resources issues such as recruitment and retention and training issues such as learning theory, on-the-job skills assessments and aligning core workforce competencies to enhance the bottom-line impact of training and development programs. Written for training, human resources and business management personnel in all industries, Training magazine is read by more than 150,000 people each month. Visit www.trainingmag.com.

Sun Educational Services, the training group of Sun Microsystems, Inc., is recognized as one of the top IT training organizations in the world. Each year, over 400,000 students are educated through both technology-based training and at over 400 Sun and authorized training sites located in more than 60 countries. Sun provides comprehensive learning solutions for enterprises, IT organizations and individuals, including education consulting services, courseware, professional certifications, eLearning and a highly scalable, enterprise-class learning management system. Sun Educational Services offers an extensive portfolio of instructor-led and technology-based training. Instructor-led courses are available through training sites around the world and its eLearning courses are delivered through the Sun Web Learning Center. Visit http:www.sun.com/training.

Crisp Learning has more than 17 years of experience in supporting the learning efforts of thousands of corporate, government and educational organizations as well as millions of individuals. Learning leaders choose Crisp when they want competency-based programs that are practical, cost-effective and quick. The Crisp Fifty-Minute Series is recognized as one of the most familiar and respected brands in the training industry and is available in print, audio, video, CD and online courses. All offer the same "back to basics" approach and an unequaled blend of consistency and flexibility. From its vast database of content, Crisp also creates custom solutions for learning organizations throughout the world. Workplace Skills Made Simple! Visit www.crisplearning.com.

Jones International University (JIU) is the first fully online, accredited university. JIU combines technology with educational content to deliver convenient, high-quality, affordable bachelor- and master-level degree programs and professional certificate programs. Faculty and students interact via asynchronous online technologies such as online forums and e-mail. JIU has no site-based campus requirements. JIU students log into their courses from wherever they have access to a computer and the Internet. JIU has a diverse and rich student population from more than 100 countries, with curriculum designed specifically for an online learning environment by experts from leading institutions around the globe. Visit www.jonesinternational.edu.