In this issue:
1. Are American workers prepared to learn technology?
2. ERP Training - Who owns the project? Who trains the users?
3. Question from a reader: What skills do I need to become an online trainer/mentor/coach?
1. Are American workers prepared to learn technology?
A new study listed some interesting statistics about American workers and American students.
75% graduate from high school
60 % of those go onto college
35 % of those drop out during the first year
25 % of high school graduates complete a college degree.
The same report stated that the average American high school student tested below the bottom 25 % of Korean students.
That is the bad news. The good news is that those who go onto college outperform and out test other countries by the time they graduate.
What does this mean to us in the technology training field. Well, if only 25% of high school graduates complete college and those are the ones who are successful learners, what challenges come with the non-successful learners who comprise the other 75%? And remember this number does NOT include the 25% who originally dropped out of high school. Sure they may have grown up on Nintendo.. but do they have the conceptual knowledge to run spreadsheets, do database analysis, create reports? Will you be spending your time teaching readin' and writin' rather than business processes using technology?
These challenges and more will be addressed at the upcoming Training IT Management Conference during the special forum. This forum will examine the changing profile of the workforce both domestically and globally and will help you discover ways to address training for a diverse and changing population. Check out www.influent.com for information about this forum or specific sessions or workshops. If you have any comments about the above listed trends, please send those to hfisk@influent.com.
2. ERP Training - Who owns the project? Who trains the users?
One of the greatest challenges of ERP (Enterprisewide Resource Planning) implementation is knowing who owns the project. Does it live in IT? In the business areas? In HR? Who owns the ERP project can greatly impact the end-user training. If ERP is owned by the IT department the focus is often on the technology and training the programmers to modify the new system, but the end users are an afterthought. If the business areas own the project, the focus is on the getting the business done...and they may not plan enough time or resources for training. HR understands the people issues often, but does not understand how to train on technology systems. Training for ERP systems is conducted not only by the technology training professionals, but often involves SME's, HR or IT specialists, or others who traditionally not been involved in the systems or computer training in their organizations.
If you are responsible for end-user training for ERP systems in your company, how do you educate the project leaders on the elements that make for a successful ERP system rollout? You can learn a variety of approaches that have been used by organizations at the ERP Systems Training Conference. (see www.influent.com for more information) Review actual case studies presented by organizations. Whether you are just beginning your ERP implementation or are preparing for a new wave of end users, you will find answers at the only conference targeted on the end-user training for ERP systems.
3. Question from a reader - What skills do I need to become an online trainer/mentor/coach?
CTW Update reader, Aih Mei posed the following question: "My company is looking at using some of the new web-based, synchronous technologies from Centra, Placeware, Mshow, etc. What skills do I need to make the transition from classroom instructor to online coach?
Do you have any comments or suggestions that you would like to share with Aih and the other readers of the CTW Update? Please send those ideas to me at hfisk@influent.com. I will publish those comments and suggestions in a future issue.
Note: The responses from last issue's question (Should users be given hardcopy documentation with online courses?) will be posted in the next issue of the CTW Update.
Wanted! Your ideas and issues.
Do you have a question about your technology training challenges? In need of a resource or idea to solve a specific computer training problem? Looking to connect with others in the IT Training industry? This newsletter is meant to be a resource for you to find the answers you need to help you survive and thrive in our industry. Readers of this newsletter are encouraged to send in questions, ideas, resource links or articles to hfisk@influent.com.
