Training & Skills

Distance and e-learning

Distance and e-learning options can be very effective for both you and your staff.

For you

If attending a learning centre isn't suitable, one of the options you have to improve your skills and knowledge is through self-study. This option isn't for everyone - many people prefer the discipline and interaction of having a fixed timetable and working in a group, and the added value of getting away from the workplace and meeting new people.

That said, distance and e-learning options have a lot of advantages:

• they are very cost effective, starting from under £20
• you study at your own pace, as slowly or as quickly as you like
• you study wherever and whenever you can: at work, at home, in your lunch break etc
• e-learning courses employ a variety of techniques: reading, video, animation, show and tell, quizzes, multiple-choice, audio, visual and interactive panels

Study at your own pace, but not alone

Self-study doesn't mean doing it all alone. Most courses have access to a tutor via email, phone and even in person, and there are usually online communities of other learners where you can find support, share issues, read blogs or just chat.

From a cost perspective they are hard to beat - often starting from under £20, with most courses under £100.

There is also a lot of choice - although choosing the right provider is essential.

For your staff

Distance learning, online learning, and learning from CD-ROMs and DVDs have becoming increasingly popular ways to train staff. There are a huge variety of courses:

• Short, focussed modules are designed to deliver very specific skills or knowledge. Examples are (these are all real e-courses from Learn Direct): Avoiding Slips, Trips and Falls, Absence Management, Call to Order: Converting Telephone Enquiries into Sales.
• Medium length courses teach more complex information. Examples are: Health and Safety, Law and Practice, Leadership, Steps to Success - Professional Customer Service.
• Full length courses deliver complete command of a subject and/or qualifications. Examples are ECDL Driving Licence (an internationally recognised computer user qualification), Setting Up Your Own Business and a degree in Computer Science from Staffordshire University.

E-learning in particular offers a great range of interactive learning methods: video, animated material, quizzes, multiple choice, audio, puzzles and so on. Because people learn in different ways - some respond best to visual, other to audio and other to actually doing - a course that involves a variety of methods is good for meeting everyone's needs.

Cost-effective training

These methods also tend to be very cost-effective with fees starting from under £20 for one member of staff. In addition many course providers make it possible for employers to track employees' progress through the course and to measure the effectiveness and overall impact on their skills by accessing statistics about their usage, test results, responses etc. As well as making sure your employees are doing well, this helps you to work out the return from your investment.

Online courses are particularly well suited to businesses that have employees at multiple locations. Because they are delivered online, all staff, regardless of their location, do the same course together and can share experiences.

Create your own e-learning

Creating in-house e-learning software is a highly effective and very low cost option for training all staff in all aspects of your business: your procedures, ethos, health and safety, customer approach, pricing, news - indeed anything you might want to communicate.

Of course, you still need the skills to be able to put the actual training ideas and content together, but provided you can do this in programs such as Word or Powerpoint, there are several software products on the market, retailing from £1,000, that allow you to turn these into professional e-learning resources using a variety of easy-to-use tools and wizards. You can include voice-overs, video, tests, step-by-step demonstrations, guided diagrams and a whole host of other interactive material.

Search the web for suppliers, there are many excellent software providers on the market. See Articulate (www.articulate.com) as an example of what you're looking for.

Find an e-learning course with a reputable training provider

There are a number of options for funding the right course for you or your staff:

• Search business e-learning courses through Learn Direct at http://www1.learndirect-business.com/ or follow this link for their current directory and price list http://www.learndirect-business.co.uk/pricelist.pdf
• Search tourism-specific courses through the People 1st (the tourism and hospitality industry sector skills council) UKSP pages for an extensive directory of providers that offer tourism and hospitality specific courses. You'll need to register (free and very quick) to access the directory.http://www.ukskillspassport.co.uk/Employers.aspx
• Contact a skills broker to find courses, funds and providers.