Elearning blog: Learning re-imagined

Trackable compliance training: A must-have for government contractors

By Katherine Doe, Skillsoft Marketing Manager, with Charlie Voelker, Esq., Skillsoft Legal Compliance Solution Manager

While Charlie contributed previously here on Learning re-imagined, I’d like to take an opportunity to more formally introduce him – our Compliance team has an impressive level of expertise!  Charlie Voelker, Esq. is the Product Manager for our Legal Compliance Solution.  In this role, he works with Skillsoft customers to create and implement cloud-based compliance training programs designed to reduce violations and mitigate risk, all while promoting an ethical culture and principled governance.  Charlie is also involved in setting the strategy for new content development within the solution.  Below, he shares a bit about why trackable compliance training is so important, especially for government contractors… 

“An efficient, scalable, and reliable training deployment strategy is essential to any organization’s compliance program.  But this is particularly true for firms that provide goods and services to the U.S. government.  For instance, in many cases a federal contractor is required to deliver ethics training across the enterprise, including directors, managers, employees, agents, and subcontractors.  The training must reach the entire organization with a consistent message, regardless of geography, in a format that is educationally effective.  Just as important is the ability for the program administrators to maintain detailed electronic records of training assignments, completion dates, and other crucial data that can be easily retrieved in the event of a government audit or investigation.  Skillsoft’s cloud-based compliance training solution delivers on all of these requirements, assisting hundreds of our customers, like Catapult Technology, meet their mission-critical training obligations.”

Watch a mini video case study on YouTube featuring Katie Cawood, Catapult’s Corporate Professional Development Administrator.  She describes why her Skillsoft compliance and on-boarding program has been “completely invaluable.”  

 

Are you ready for web standards in advertising?

We’re pleased to bring you a guest post by John Percival, an author featured in the Skillsoft® Books24x7® ITPro collection. John is the author of a new book, HTML5 Advertising.

By John Percival

If you're a front-end developer or web designer, you know the importance of web standards. They set a baseline for functionality and aesthetic that can be achieved within our browsers regardless of vendor and operating system (OS). But what does this mean for online advertising? You know, the multi-billion dollar industry of marketers, data analysts and creative minds that rely so heavily on Flash as their sole technology to deploy ads to their audience?

Wait, did you hear me? I said a multi-billion dollar industry: http://www.iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_releases/press_release_archive/press_release/pr-101112. Seriously, this stuff is important!

In 2013, one important thing to take notice of will be the imminent shift from Flash based advertising to open web standards with HTML5, CSS and JavaScript in order to reach the platforms and operating systems that do not support plugins like Flash.

This is a huge step in the right direction and I'll tell you why.

Cross platform:
From your kids to your grandpa, we all seemingly have either a smart phone or tablet device in our family and with the vast amount of new devices pumping into the consumer market at crazy rates, we should expect to see these devices overtake desktop computing accessing web content in the next 1-2 years (depending on which research firm you trust).*

Pair this with all the major players in the web space (Microsoft, Google, Apple, Mozilla, Opera) becoming huge advocates of open web standards and this should be a clear view into the online world we'll all soon be taking part in. 

Adaptive approach:
With this cross platform approach, this means more devices, variable screen resolutions and higher pixel densities all accessing web content. Which means our ad content will need to follow suit and adapt correctly in both layout and functionality.

One single ad tag that will be deployed across all distribution channels, while handling the feature detection logic before actually serving the ad’s creative elements.

What this means for content producers is that you really need to get serious about your user base and start taking notice of who's requesting your content. If it's all HTML5 compliant browsers and devices, let that be your baseline for content development and give your users an amazing experience with all the bells and whistles. If it's still IE 6, 7 and 8, you'll know you'll still have to cater to those outdated users. Which does suck but you can't overlook them.

Amazing API's:
When you finally know your user base, you can start leveraging the true power of the new (open) web. Using all the new and shiny API's available to us; we can really cater our web and ad content to do amazing things in the appropriate environment. This could be the use of device accelerometers, ambient light sensors or more emerging API’s like WebGL and WebRTC to name a few.

You name it; it's either coming to the modern browser or already here in the latest versions and if you ask me, this is where it really gets exciting for web developers since it will open up new worlds of creative opportunities that were once unachievable.

Performance:
While we can give our users amazing new experiences, we can't escape the performance gains and constraints in this new ecosystem. Since we're no longer confined to a plugin environment we'll have to understand that our ads are now apart of the page markup. This means we need to be conscious of our CSS namespaceing and scripting so it doesn't conflict with the page we’re serving on.

On the flip side, this does mean performance gains because our ad content is now relying on the modern browser and leveraging the powerful rendering engines associated with them. We no longer have to optimize our ad content in a plugin environment like Flash or Silverlight as well as the rest of the page content.

What this means for ad developers is that now more than ever, we’ll need to act more like front-end web developers. Dealing with feature detection, various levels of HTML5 compliance, browser rendering issues and performance optimizations.

The guys and gals that can achieve this will be in high demand come 2013!

What this all means for marketers and more importantly, users?

A better web, of course! It’ll be faster, more accessible to users and operating everywhere regardless of platform, device or browser.

It's really an exiting time to be developing online advertising and for the web as a whole.

About John Percival
John Percival is an established creative director and technologist that resides in the Philadelphia area. He specializes in digital media production, multi-screen development, interactive design and video creation and delivery.He currently works in the digital advertising space working for many Fortune 500 clients solving complex problems.

HTML5 Advertising is available through the Skillsoft Books24x7 ITPro collection and for purchase here: http://www.apress.com/9781430246022

 

*http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/14/comscore-us-internet-report-yoy-pinterest-up-4000-amazon-up-30-android-top-smartphone-more/desktop-mobile/. 

Building leadership in SMB and non-profits

By Jordan Jurkowitz, Inside Sales New Business Development, Skillsoft

Strong leadership is absolutely essential for any organization to survive and thrive regardless of size and scale. It can make the strong stronger and offset competitive disadvantages such as lack of funds and resources. Likewise, its absence can cause even the biggest organizations to crumble.

The world of sports provides many examples of how important leadership can be. Looking back on the fall baseball season, the Boston Red Sox began with high hopes. They had a roster full of former all-stars and one of the highest payrolls in sports. They also had a new manager. But as the season unfolded, things didn’t quite mesh. Why? It became evident that there was very little trust between the manager and the players. Infighting ensued and the team fell to the bottom of the standings.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles, a team whose payroll and overall talent pool pales in comparison to the Red Sox, have far exceeded the expectations most had for them this year. Why? The team has thrived under the guidance of a manager who has been renowned throughout his career for his ability to maximize the talent and production of his teams.

My role as an Inside-Sales New-Business-Development Associate puts me in a unique position to recognize trends in different industries because I generally talk to prospective clients during the early stages of their projects. 

The most important questions I ask usually start with why: Why is this training important? Why are you considering elearning? Why will this help you accomplish your goals?

Over the last several months, I’ve noticed a spike in the number of non-profit professionals who have expressed an interest in elearning, especially in the areas of business skills and leadership development. Why is this training important?

While no two organizations are exactly alike, a frequent refrain in the non-profit world is the need for employees to wear multiple hats within an organization. Non-profits operate with limited resources, so it is not uncommon for them to seek to fill leadership roles from within.

If a social worker displays a knack for leading, they may find themselves with a new role, regardless of whether or not their prior education and experience makes them a good fit. This lack of formal training creates an acute need for employees to learn important skills in a professional and efficient manner, without the prohibitive costs of going back to school.  

Why are you considering elearning?

Struggling to engage your staff?

Each working day your employees come into the office and work diligently to keep your customers happy, but are you sure you’re making them feel a valued and vital asset to the business?  Have you honestly taken a moment to step back and take a look at whether you’re truly engaging your staff?

We all know that if staff feel undervalued and are not given the opportunity to develop their skills, they will become unmotivated and disinterested in the business, with performance levels and productivity suffering as a result.

Research published last month by the Engage for Success task force reported that the UK can deliver £26billion GDP growth by better engaging employees at work.

Join an Engage for Success webinar led by David MacLeod on 24 January 2013.

David MacLeod chairs this task force, and believes that 20 million workers are not working at full capacity because employers are not actively engaging them. During the webinar he will demonstrate how employee engagement can make a huge difference and be key in the long term prosperity of your business.

David will cover the following points:

• Why employee engagement is such a hot topic; what are the bigger changes in people's attitudes and the nature of work that employee engagement is a response to.
• What the difference is between transactional engagement and transformational engagement.
• What four things are present in organisations that really engage their people.

We look forward to welcoming you to this discussion, so don’t forget to join us on Thursday 24 January 2013 at 12pm GMT for the lowdown on the Engage for Success movement. Register today!

How can a business prosper without engaged employees?

By Kevin Young, general manager, Skillsoft EMEA

With competition for business high, CEOs know they need to remain focused on growth, set realistic budgets, understand what their customers really want and keep one step ahead of their competitors. Many will have those bases already covered, but if the people charged with carrying out day-to-day activities are not properly engaged, the business will fail to prosper.

In fact, if workforces were more engaged, the UK economy could benefit to the tune of £26billion, according to a recent Engage for Success task force, which features representatives from the likes of the Department for Business, Lloyds Banking Group and Water Aid.  The high-level task force states that “20 million workers are failing to operate at full capacity because their employers are not actively engaging with them.”

The 7 Deadly Skills your IT team should possess

By Kevin Young

Here Kevin Young, Managing Director of Skillsoft EMEA, outlines the seven deadly skills that every IT team should possess.

Technology is evolving at breakneck speed and businesses are coming along for the ride by using it to help them grow faster than ever before. A productive and successful business will choose its technology wisely and will ensure that the necessary support is in place round the clock. Despite this though, there is an IT skills shortage in the business arena and the reason is simple – lack of training.

1. Data storage and data integrity

One of the most important considerations for any business is data storage. This has changed dramatically over the last decade. The data servers in many companies have developed from a single server into banks of rack-mounted data storage servers with removable SAS or SATA drives. It is therefore vital that your team has a thorough understanding of new technologies through training so they can proactively manage and support data storage devices.

2. Software support and development

If your company is using bespoke software, server database solutions or software that has been developed in-house, you need to be able to support it. In-house software development skills will prove to be a huge asset to your company. Empowering and developing your IT teams to handle your software support and development needs gives you total control over software design and spend.

Whether using bespoke software, server database solutions or software that has been developed in-house, many businesses are focusing on the development of in-house talent and training individuals and teams to handle software tasks. This will offer an excellent return on investment and avoid the need to call in expensive consultancy teams.

3. ITIL knowledge

Project management, implementation and future change are all areas in IT that need tight control. ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) training will help to address and avoid issues such as keeping track of configuration changes. ITIL ensures robust project and change management measures are put in place and ultimately it is the most widely accepted method of IT management worldwide.

4. Security

Denial of service attacks, company-wide virus breakouts and compromised business data are all external threats that an organisation can face. All businesses must ensure that data is safe and that hardware is protected against the latest viruses, malware and spyware. End-users must also be informed of the potential security risks. To avoid any data loss, businesses must ensure that they have dedicated technical experts who have the skills to configure, support and troubleshoot network security systems and protect business assets 24 hours a day.

The secret to building a good IT team lies in identifying those with a natural proficiency in specialist areas. These individuals must be given the chance to develop their instinctive skills with comprehensive training.

Throw Back Thursday: fundamentals of a learning organization

We receive so much valuable content from our customers, partners and internal subject-matter experts. On Thursdays, we thought it would be fun to do a “throw back” and bring back an older post that was valuable to our audience. Today’s throw back is on the fundamentals of a learning organization.

Fundamentals of a Learning Organization

By Russ Howard

There are three distinct levels of learning in organizations, and to be successful and sustainable, learning needs to occur on all three levels.

1. Individual level –When a person acquires a skill, gains knowledge, or achieves a change in attitude or behavior.
2. Group level – The acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies within a group.
3. Organizational level – The collective intellect and productive capability of all employees.

A key characteristic of a learning organization is a general positive attitude about learning that permeates throughout the organization, where leaders at all levels encourage and provide ongoing opportunities for continuous learning. When leaders consistently emphasize the importance of professional growth through learning, this positive attitude filters down throughout the organization, and over time, becomes integrated into its culture.

The 7 deadly skills of the perfect employee

By Kevin Young

Here, Kevin Young, Managing Director of Skillsoft EMEA, outlines the seven deadly skills that organisations should look for in any future employees.

Replacing a member of staff is a costly and lengthy process. In fact it can cost as much as a year’s salary to replace an employee.* But with businesses investing serious amounts of time and money on recruitment, how can they make sure that any new recruit is going to add to the long term success of the business?

1. Killer problem solving skills

The ability to solve complex problems is the Holy Grail for HR teams searching for that perfect candidate. Employers want people who work on their own initiative and under minimal guidance: people who are proactive rather than reactive. Regardless of the size of the issue, problem solving will always rank high on the desired skill set list.

2. A master of basic IT and new media skills

In the new digital age, keeping up to date with existing and emerging technology is essential for the modern employee. New media channels provide consistent lines of communication with customers and potential customers; employees need to have a working knowledge of how platforms can be put to use. Employees unable to fully operate common Microsoft® Office applications will almost certainly affect business productivity.

3. Written communication – not quite Shakespeare, but clear, concise and professional

Text speak has seeped into mainstream communication and even found its way into the workplace. There’s nothing more unprofessional than sending an email littered with colloquial spelling and grammar. Business communication should always be kept clear, concise, professional and free from jargon. You don’t have to be Shakespeare, but an ability to easily communicate through written language is certainly a must-have.

New Skillsoft IT and Desktop Video Collections

Skillsoft today introduced two new collections of on-demand IT and desktop performance support videos. The Skillsoft IT and Desktop Videos are captivating, 3-5 minutes of targeted learning experiences, covering a variety of desktop and IT topics. The videos, which complement other Skillsoft content and are available on Skillport® Skillsoft’s Learning Management System, highlight specific tasks and features, and cover nearly 1,000 topics. In order to support busy professionals, Skillsoft has made the videos so that they are available on mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones.

The Skillsoft IT and Desktop Videos are the latest additions to Skillsoft’s dynamic portfolio of video based learning assets. Skillsoft has been incorporating video into its learning solutions since 2006, initially with the introduction of its media-rich Business Impact and Challenge series products, and most recently with the addition of video in hundreds of its Business Skills courses. The Skillsoft Leadership Development Channel™ and 50 Lessons offers over 2000 videos, featuring world renowned business and global thought leaders.

Throw Back Thursday: finding innovation

We receive so much valuable content from our customers, partners and internal subject-matter experts. On Thursdays, we thought it would be fun to do a “throw back” and bring back an older post that was valuable to our audience. Today’s throw back discusses how to find innovation.

To find innovation, start with your own skill, love and purpose

By Shawn Hunter

In late 1953 the Swanson brothers had a glut of turkey.  They were turkey wholesalers and had overestimated the market.  So now they had 235 metric tons of turkey riding around the U.S. in refrigerated rail cars and the executive team was wondering what to do.  Can't you just imagine the CFO showing charts of what it cost to have all those turkeys rolling around on refrigerated rail cars per day?

Gerry Thomas, a sales executive at Swanson, had just seen what Pan American Airlines was doing with compartmentalized in-flight food offerings.  He and the executive team at Swanson coupled this notion with Clarence Birdseye's new flash freezing technique, and then added the catchy product label "TV Dinner" that fit beautifully with the cultural explosion of television.  Their great market opportunity was the eight million moms who were joining the workforce after WWII, who were also enjoying an abundance of electrical home appliances like ovens, refrigerators, freezers, and of course televisions.

Swanson prepared to sell five thousand units the first year.  They sold ten million at .98 cents each.  Big hit, and now you understand how the intersection of technology, inspiration, marketing and resources made it happen.  But does that formula work again today in 2010?  Here's the difference now:

Resources are scarce, not abundant: From water to textiles to lumber, the availability and premium placed on the natural resources we use to create the consumer products and comestibles are in high demand and, in the case of fossil fuels and water particularly, are increasingly precious.

Talent is global, not local: Historically if you had a local workforce that was obedient, diligent, and brought expertise and skill to bear executing on top-driven strategies, you had competitive advantage.  The future is most certainly now in terms of the ability to connect need with a globally-dispersed labor force - highly talented, motivated, and comparatively cheap by U.S. standards.  And all connected by the cost of the internet (free).  The skilled talent, regardless of source, is indeed not free, but increasingly any function that can be made routine, and reduced to if=then equations which bracket to a correct answer, can also be automated.  Consider telemedicine, the in absentia health care solution to everything from fast, cheap review of MRIs, mammograms, and all manners of diagnostics.  You get an X-Ray in the afternoon in Illinois and the scan is reviewed by a U.S board-certified physician in India, and returned overnight - or even immediately - over the web.

Innovation is democratized, not top-driven: No longer can firms rely on the wisdom of a handful of insightful strategists at the top of a pyramid, when meanwhile companies like Rabobank or Best Buy are doing a better job of catering to customer need by creating mechanisms to actively listen to, and incorporate the interests of customers, and know-how of line personnel.