Steve Preston, HR director, Asia Pacific head of learning & development, Barclays Capital Global Services
Some years ago the arrival of e-learning was touted as the panacea for all training needs (perhaps hyped by some providers). However, after an initial rush of enthusiasm, training professionals have realised that whilst it remains beneficial, e-learning forms only part of the whole training picture.
Barclays Capital has been actively using e-learning for some years, using a mix of external off-the-shelf content providers, custom-designed programmes and internally developed proprietary seminars. These cover both technical and personal development skills. Our graduate hires undertake e-learning prior to their arrival to ensure they have the prerequisite knowledge required for subsequent classroom training. Last year, staff around the globe completed anti-money laundering training via a custom made e-learning module. Our ongoing focus this year is using a blended approach of e-learning and classroom facilitation to enhance our induction processes.
2005 will see the continuation of our efforts to maximise the potential of our staff to ensure further business success and e-learning will remain an important contributor to this process.
Yue Chin Seng, human resources director, Asia Pacific, Avaya
Training is about establishing excellence in the workplace and e-learning increasingly plays an instrumental role in aiding this process, hence we anticipate better e-learning programmes that will address niche areas in training. Quality e-learning courses can be likened to killer applications. The practicality of design, and the accuracy in which these courses target and meet an organisation's training needs will determine whether or not more companies and their HR practitioners will be willing to increase their e-learning investment.
Globally, people in the company are strongly encouraged to play pro-active roles in their career development paths and personal accountability is emphasised. E-learning courses are readily available through Avaya University, our global in-house training and learning centre. Unlike traditional training programmes, e-learning provides just-in-time training that is self-paced. In the Asia Pacific region where the majority of our 700 employees are bilingual and mobile, our well-designed e-learning programmes have been effective.
MsDr. Siow Choon Neo, managing director, HR Services, FedEx Express South Pacific
E-learning will continue to be supported by organisations that want to provide flexible training solutions for their staff. FedEx recognised that while many of our staff wanted to undertake training courses and develop their skills, they often face availability, timing, proximity and language restrictions. Hence, e-learning offers employees the opportunity to undertake both soft and hard skills training. The ability for skills training to be self-initiated, driven and paced is essential in today's workplace environment, where not all employees may be able to regularly attend full or multiple day seminars.
FedEx has been committed to e-learning for many years now, with employees from all levels of the company seizing the opportunity to further develop their skills, for either professional or self-development, or to achieve promotions within the company. We believe that our e-learning services will continue to play a major role in the ongoing education and development of our staff.
Jean-Louis Michelet, managing director, ICUS
ICUS believes that the hype is definitely over for the Singapore e-learning market but that's good news. The demand for technology-enabled training and content management, which was heavily focused only on strategies that supports formal learning environments, has matured. As a result, e-learning is shifting towards informal learning environments. Formal learning is about transferring knowledge and skills through structured and hard-wired programmes. It is imposed on individuals and directed by others, usually hierarchy, so learners are pushed forward. Whereas informal learning is about just-in-time performance improvement and learners are pulled towards it as informal learning is self-directed and triggered by individual needs rather than that of a group.
In 2005, learning strategies will move towards developing resources that can be delivered in a formal and informal learning environment or better yet, simultaneously meet the needs of both. The transformation for the informal learning environment will dramatically accelerate the usage of e-learning in the Singapore corporate marketplace.
