“There’s tremendous pressure to perform well at all levels, especially on management to deliver results,” she adds.
“This is at least partly due to the impact of the knowledge economy, with the focus on globalisation this has brought. In order to remain competitive, businesses constantly have to improve and upgrade the skills set of their workforce. “Managers and prospective managers have to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the corporate industry space. Across the board, business is coming to understand the importance of strong human capital in the workplace. This is making the role of training more important than ever and is reflected in the response we’ve had to the Effective Manager Course.”
Knowledge Horizon is offering Effective Manger with a blended mode of delivery: “Knowledge Horizon is very much at the cutting edge of training techniques and we find that a blended mode of delivery is extremely successful,” comments Mitra.
“It means we can appeal to a variety of learning styles, give the students the vital classroom interaction that is such an essential part of the learning process and take advantage of everything that online and eTraining has to offer. In our experience, this means our students have the best possible training experience and the optimum learning outcome.” Mitra goes on to discuss the growing importance of eTraining. She feels there are three main factors at play: “The popularity of eTraining has been increasing steadily but it’s really taken off in the last 12 months or so. Of course, this is partly because Internet connections are so much faster and are more readily available, making on-line activities more a part of our day-to-day life. Just look at the popularity of Facebook, for example. Also we need to consider the impact of the global economic climate on companies — making them re-examine all their budgets — and there’s no denying the attraction of the cost-effectiveness of eTraining. Another key factor is its flexibility — employees don’t have to be released from work for set periods of time.”
Superior outcome
Mitra points out that eLearning outcomes can be superior to those of more conventional delivery modes: “A recent study conducted by SRI International, looked at eLearning from 1996 to 2008, for the Department of Education in the United States. The research covered a wide variety of age groups and course types, including medical and military training and concluded that on average, students in on-line learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
The heart of the success of Effective Manager, for Mitra, is being able to use the classroom as a learning platform backed eTraining to provide learning experiences that are more unique, more meaningful and more enjoyable: “With Effective Manager, for example, the DVDs that form an integral part of the course keep learning fresh and lively and aid retention but also the material we use has been designed in the region so it’s culturally sensitive, which trainees really do appreciate. What’s more, something that many people find particularly appealing is that there is the option of following the online modules of the course in Arabic. That’s great as it really does open up training and learning to so many more people — it maximises training opportunities and I think gives trainees an extra bit of confidence.”
Candidates wishing to turn the knowledge and skills they gain from the Effective Manager Programme into certified professional assets can enter for qualifications from City and Guilds, the leading vocational awarding body, operating in 100 countries worldwide. Knowledge Horizon has been an accredited Centre for City and Guilds for over 7 years.