Global Knowledge’s alternative delivery programmes passes 1,000 milestone
~ IT and Business Skills leader’s survey shows customers now see alternative modalities as the business norm and an increasingly important part of the delivery mix ~
Research commissioned by IT and business skills provider, Global Knowledge, showed an overwhelming number of individuals who view alternative modalities as being ‘business as usual’ when selecting their preferred learning programme.
The results were taken from over 1,000 Global Knowledge delegates who have attended their alternative Instructor-led Training (ILT) classroom deliveries, such as V&C Select™ (virtual access to classroom learning) or Class-Connect™ (a premium learning solution that connects classrooms together).
According to the research, over 80% of individuals felt the learning experience was fit for purpose and did not deliver a reduced ‘experience’ compared to traditional ILT courses. A further 95% of those surveyed believed it saved the organisation time, money or both.
Oksana Meleshykhina, a Technical Support Engineer from an independent ICT Service Provider Company said "I have enjoyed Global Knowledge’s V&C Select™ course. The main success of the course is due to the technology employed, such as web broadcast, white-board sharing and online lab access worked perfectly for me. I have attended many classroom courses over the years and I can say V&C Select™ was the most effective for me.” Meleshykhina continued “Being able to fit studying around my normal day-to-day routine without spending hours commuting is a great personal benefit. Ability to access our production system at the time of lab exercises to view the real-life scenario enhanced understanding of the subject.”
Allan Pettman, UK Managing Director at Global Knowledge said “Gone are the days of structured lectures being the only option open to people. Flexibility is undoubtedly the key and is cited by our survey respondents as a value-add for them.” Pettman continued “The fast pace of life and increasing responsibilities - both at home and in the workplace - mean individuals are evaluating other modalities as a compliment to more traditional classroom methods. Despite the clear benefits, such as saving organisations time or money, learning still needs to be engaging and collaborative with access to mentors and other students, learning resources and hands-on development for practical skills to be cemented.”
Despite 72% of employees viewing learning and development opportunities as just as important as salary when choosing their next job, many still face barriers from their employers in getting the training they want at a time or a location that suits them.
Another respondent commented “Constrained at times by our remote location can be challenging when trying to balance education with time and cost. We have often seen ourselves as a captured market for local suppliers and the cost of travel and accommodation as prohibitive so an opportunity to work with Global Knowledge on their new virtual learning offering was an opportunity that we grabbed. We believe that our total cost of delivery on some courses has come down by over 50%, combine that with enthusiastic feedback from our staff and we have no hesitation in recommending.”
Pettman concluded “It is really encouraging to see that the significant investment we have made is delivering benefits for our clients on both a national and international level. I believe it is incumbent upon training providers to continue to evolve the learning solutions to align to pressing organisational needs such as return on time and investment, bringing geographically dispersed teams together and ensuring consistent learning experiences.”
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