LearnSmart Training Blog

Considering ROI as Part of Overall Training Value.

In determining what constitutes fully effective business training, it is important to ask a number of key questions:

1. Did the participants enjoy the training? Were they engaged, rather than grumbling about having to sit through a boring presentation/video?

2. Did the participants learn something? Do they consider themselves more educated than when they started?

3. Are the participants able to apply what they learned in their day-to-day job duties? Did the training make a difference, creating employees that are more organized, efficient, or otherwise better at what you pay them for?

However, even if you are able to respond “yes” to all of the above, there’s still something missing. The final puzzle piece that’s necessary for a magnificent picture. That critical element relates to the business itself: Has the business seen a benefit (direct or indirect) as a result of the training? It’s a matter of adding up the improvements and finding that the sum is greater than the total of its individual parts. When you put training under the microscope, you’re looking for impact – a measurable change in profits, revenue, errors, or other operational factors. This is known as a level 4 evaluation, based on the well-known Kirkpatrick Model.

So, how do you determine the benefits of training – training that amounts to a significant investment of time, money and effort? In actuality, that process is – quite literally – something that should be completed before the training ever starts. That’s because the only way to know if training meets your company’s goals is to have those goals in place before you press “Start.” When the company’s goals are identified beforehand, two things can happen. One, you can have the trainer tailor the material and/or delivery method to meet those goals. And two, if at any point you find that the training isn’t quite hitting the marks you need it to, there’s still time to make adjustments. Once the trainer has packed up and picked up his/her check, or after the last video has played, it becomes a lot more difficult – not to mention time-consuming and expensive – to double back and fix things.

So before you flip the “go” switch on training, be sure to take the following steps:

Q: Work with the training company to identify what performance measures are essential to you and your company, and ensure that those ideals are incorporated into the material so that employees will be able to meet the desired standards.

Q: Determine what data would indicate success in training. Determine the most effective way to collect that data once the training is completed – preferably a method that doesn’t require excessive administrative work for you or any other member of your staff.

Q: Determine what other factors are important in leading to a positive impact for the company. While it’s possible that some of these intangibles cannot be achieved through the training you’ve arranged for, it never hurts to aim higher – and ask the essential questions.

A common brain-teaser posits: If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? No matter what answer you give, the riddler is likely to respond with “How do you know?”

A similar conundrum often occurs with business training. If a bunch of your employees take a training course and there’s no one around to observe the consequences, does the company gain any benefit from the training? Again, the simple retort is, how do you know? Without the requisite follow-up, training becomes a waste of time, money and effort. In order to overcome this quandary, it becomes essential to help employees make the jump from point A (where they go through the training and, ostensibly, learn something) to point B (where they apply the information they’ve learned to their everyday work duties). This operation is known as learning transfer, and it is a critical step in the training process. Only by monitoring learning transfer can the people who arranged and paid for the training, get a glimpse into how well their investment paid off. This approach is adapted from the well-known Kirkpatrick Model – a system developed in 1954 as a means of measuring the business value of training programs.

Known as a level 3 evaluation, the process involves measuring whether employees are using their newly acquired skills and knowledge on the job – has the learning transfer taken place? – and, if not, why? When done properly, this sort of evaluation can be used to improve training and identify roadblocks. What is standing in the way, keeping employees from putting their newfound smarts into practice? It doesn’t take an extraordinary effort to perform a level 3 evaluation, or to incorporate it into a supervisory routine. In simple terms:

1. Start by observing performance.
For example, if the training outlined a new data-input method, are people following those protocols?

2. Next, gather information.
Talk to people – not only those who went through the training, but also the people those employees work with and for. Ask questions. Has the training helped? Are you still finding the information you were given useful? Is the training helping make you/your department more productive?

3. Finally, review your records.
In all likelihood, your company already keeps track of performance data, error data, customer satisfaction information, etc. All you need to do is go back and track the results. Go back to before the training happened, and track forward to the present. Did performance improve? Decline? Stay the same?

No matter what method of evaluation you use, the goal is pretty straightforward: You want to ensure that learning is transferring to practical application on the job. There are a number of ways to go about this, some of which should be considered even before training begins.

Trainees: A trainee, for instance, should perform a self-assessment before undertaking any new training. This employee must take an honest look at his/her skills and needs, and be assured that the training will be of some benefit. Moving forward, the employees needs to complete any precourse work that is called for.

Trainers: The trainer bears a major responsibility – notably, to ensure that the training is worthwhile. After all, there’s no sense in teaching something that isn’t going to provide any observable benefit. So the trainer should look at what the employees need, and should deliver content accordingly. Likewise, the trainer should keep others’ schedules in mind, and make effective use of employees’ time. This can be accomplished through adequate preparation; training should be informative and engaging, without dragging or feeling rushed. There should be time for students to ask questions, with enough breaks slotted in that everyone can stay on top of their game. In addition, the trainer should develop precourse work and plan to follow up once training is completed.

Supervisors: In a sense, supervisors should do what they normally do, just with a focus on training. This means selecting which employees will receive the training, based on certain criteria. It means developing performance measurements to ascertain the gains from training. It means conducting a pre-training meeting with trainees, and having employees who’ve already completed the training serve as mentors to the newest trainees. Supervisors must allot adequate time for employees to prepare, and – like trainers – should plan to follow up.

Managers: While not directly involved in the training process, managers must take the process into account when overseeing their departments. If a manager sees a need amongst his/her people, it is that manager’s responsibility to figure out a way to meet that need; an advisory committee can be an excellent way to brainstorm and find an appropriate solution. To rally the troops, managers should communicate the importance of training – and spell out what the new training course will accomplish, including the benefits to both the company and the individual employees. And on a general note, managers should allot enough time for training and follow-up, and should set standards for suitable follow-up.

In the early stages of a job hunt, your resume does most of the talking for you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re responding to a job posting or simply “cold calling” companies in your field; once you seal the envelope or send the email, your curriculum vitae becomes your only means of communicating with a potential employer. So what is your resume really saying about you? And, more importantly, what language is it speaking?

Imagine you’re on vacation in Rome, where you don’t speak the language. You would like to see the Trevi Fountain, and you need directions. Who are you going to ask? The group conversing in Italian, or the couple who are talking in English, your native tongue? Even if you’re a stalwart sort who wants to work on your Italian and is willing to fumble through with a phrasebook, it would be unrealistic to expect others to do the same.

That’s what it’s like when your resume is filled with highly technical jargon — except that you’re the local, and the HR professional is the tourist. Maybe that tourist speaks your language and will want to chat with you, but more likely, he or she will go off in search of someone he/she can understand. That’s why it’s essential that your resume be written using plain, easy-to-understand verbiage — because you don’t know who’s going to see it first, or what kind of impression you might make. In speaking for you, your resume should be charming and eager to please — rather than snobby and standoffish.

Over the past several months, LearnSmart has made great strides in expanding its training library, and continues to offer individuals and businesses an extensive selection of titles in the areas of IT, management, communication and soft skills training.

Now celebrating 15 years of expertise and exceptional customer service, LearnSmart is pleased to announce its newest offerings, which represent just a handful of titles in an ever-growing list of exceptional skills and technology training courses.

A+ All-in-One (220-801 and 220-802)
Designed for students interested in obtaining the CompTIA A+ certification, this in-depth, self-paced training series teaches you how to work with PC operating systems, including installation, upgrade options, UAC configuration, and Homegroups. You will also learn to install, repair, upgrade, configure, optimize, troubleshoot, and perform preventative maintenance on personal computers and operating systems. When you complete this series, you will be able to: identify types and characteristics of PC components, including motherboard, CPU, memory and storage, input and output devices; assemble, disassemble, and upgrade PC and notebook components; and compare and contrast the features of Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 7.

Understanding HIPAA
In LearnSmart’s Understanding HIPAA course, students will learn the primary purpose of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which is to protect patients from improper disclosure of medical information. In addition, health organizations and all partner organizations will understand their legal responsibility for proper handling of any and all information related to a medical or mental health patient. Plus, healthcare workers will see how they are protected – and how their duties are simplified – by clear HIPAA procedures on how to handle, process, store and give out information. This course is designed for doctors, healthcare workers and other employees/partners of covered entities who are charged with protecting patient information under HIPAA.

Coaching with Confidence
Coaching with Confidence was designed to teach the importance of communication, leadership, and a commitment to people as means of creating a plan of action and a way of thinking that others are compelled to follow. Further, during the course, students will learn that it’s not what coaches are, but what coaches do that has the most value. Coaching with Confidence contains all the essentials that people need to be the best coaches they can be – for themselves, and for their teams. This course is designed for team members, team leaders, and supervisors – basically, anyone on the corporate ladder – who is interested in improving performance, and boosting the productivity of their department.

Effective Delegation
Delegation is more than just clearing off your desk by assigning tasks to others. Not only does delegation entail teaching others the skills necessary to accomplish certain tasks, but it also serves as an opportunity to foster employees in their career training. This course shows the importance of delegating not just tasks, but also the authority necessary to complete them.

MTA OS (98-349)
LearnSmart’s Video Training Course for MTA Windows Operating System Fundamentals was created to help students – primarily students attending high school or a two-year college – prepare to take the 98-349 exam: Microsoft Technology Associate, Windows Operating System Fundamentals. This exam certifies that candidates have the foundational knowledge needed to take the first step toward building a successful career in technology. Topics include application and deployment control, mobility solutions, Windows interfaces and troubleshooting theory.

To find out more about these titles, or for a complete list of training courses for your department or organization, download LearnSmart’s complete training catalog at
http://www.learnsmartsystems.com/resources/training-catalog.aspx or call 1-800-418-6789.

LearnSmart is honored and excited to announce being named as a finalist for the 2012 Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award. The annual award pays tribute to Tampa Bay area businesses of fewer than 250 employees that excel in the categories of History and Philosophy; Management; Operational Management; Innovativeness and Response; and Leadership and Community. LearnSmart is one of five finalists for the award selected from an initial field of 250 candidate companies. The award process began in January and will officially end Friday, September 28 when the winner is revealed at the Small Business of the Year Awards Dinner at the Tampa Convention Center. LearnSmart has served the Tampa Bay community since 1997 and appreciates being recognized as a finalist for this award by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

LearnSmart recently announced that we would be releasing an iPad App for our IT Training software. As of now, the App is completed and is currently in the process of being reviewed by Apple.

The LearnSmart iPad App will allow users to get the training they need directly on their iPad without the need for an internet connection.  Users will download their video training directly to their iPad giving them the freedom to take their training to places where a wifi or 3g connection isn’t feasible. LearnSmart has made great strides to get training into the hands of professionals when and where they need it and the introduction of this application will help us continue this trend.

We’re extremely excited to get the new LearnSmart iPad App in the hands of our customers who have been eagerly awaiting it’s completion. We will be sure to get the news out as soon as we get approval through Apples App review process.

Are you excited to get your hands(or fingers) on the iPad App? Let us know in the comments below!

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date on the latest training updates from LearnSmart.

Looking to advance your IT career or secure training for your Enterprise? LearnSmart offers the absolute best training materials for technologies including CompTIA A+, Network+,  MCITP Certification, CCNA Training and more. The LearnSmart Cloud Classroom makes studying better and more convenient by putting your training in the Cloud and supporting compatibility with most mobile devices including the iPad 2, Android and many more.

I stumbled upon a great post titled “Back to Basics: How to Find an IT Job” which goes into detail on the ins and outs of finding an IT job in the post-techbubble era! I think the entire post is worth checking out, but I’ll be picking out what I consider the most important to your success in the IT field.

Social Networking.

Social Networking is an excellent and convenient avenue to create important contacts in the IT industry that can help land you the perfect job. Networking with key individuals can do a lot for your chances regarding future opportunities. Use Social Networks to broaden your influence and perhaps flex your IT knowledge. Who knows, maybe that next DM will be a job offer.

At the same time, expand your search methods.

Don’t just rely on the internet. Good old fashioned door knocking can be crucial in your job search. Not all employers are tech savvy or know how to post their jobs online. Take the time to look for face to face meetings for a more powerful first impression and to expand your reach.

Follow up.

The act of following up can set your apart from other candidates. It shows you have a tenacious and organized perspective. This can be especially useful in the IT industry, where many employers have their idea of a “typical IT guy”, you can show them you’ve got what it takes to make it in their organization.

Build your portfolio.

This is the “content creation” approach, that is effective in many industries and can be just as effective in IT. Creating content that can be shared, or is useful to the IT community can be extremely beneficial to your job prospects. Utilize social media to share these projects and you can drastically increase it’s effectiveness. Content creators are viewed as experts, so take some time to construct useful programs, code snippets and more and don’t be afraid to write and share about them.

Stay on top of trends and education.

This is probably the most important point. Anyone who has committed to a career in IT understands how vital staying up-to-date on the latest trends and, more importantly, certifications is. IT is a living, breathing body that constantly is changing and evolving at the hands of technology and other sciences that continually change how we use computers. You have to say on top of the trends to look competent, and you’ve got to get the most important certifications to stay relevant. IT Certification proves to potential employers that you know, understand and can utilize the technologies they trust to run their business. Many jobs won’t even give your resume a second look if you don’t have these important representations of your abilities. The bottom line: Get certified. Stay certified.

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date on the latest training updates from LearnSmart.

Looking to advance your IT career or secure training for your Enterprise? LearnSmart offers the absolute best training materials for technologies including CompTIA A+, Network+,  MCITP Certification, CCNA Training and more. The LearnSmart Cloud Classroom makes studying better and more convenient by putting your training in the Cloud and supporting compatibility with most mobile devices including the iPad 2, Android and many more.

Here’s some great news from the IT front: Network systems and data communications analysts, Network and computer systems administrators are among the top 10 Fastest Growing Jobs for College Grads! The College Board used Bureau of Labor data and projections to come up with a list of the fastest growing jobs in America. Not suprisingly, Healthcare jobs dominated the list–but so did IT jobs. Here are the IT related jobs in order of fastest growing:

2nd-Network systems and data communications analysts

Expected Growth by 2012 (percent): 54.6

Median Annual/Hourly Earnings in 2002: $58,420/yr

5th-Computer software engineers, applications

Expected Growth by 2012 (percent): 48.4

Median Annual/Hourly Earnings in 2002: $70,900/yr

8th-Computer software engineers, systems software

Expected Growth by 2012 (percent): 43

Median Annual/Hourly Earnings in 2002: $74,040/yr

11th-Network and computer systems administrators

Expected Growth by 2012 (percent): 38.4

Median Annual/Hourly Earnings in 2002: $54,810/yr

You can view the entire list here: Fastest Growing Occupations for College Graduates 2002–2012

The IT Job market has been steadily growing for some time now and doesn’t show any signs of slowing. Looking to the future, a job in IT is ideal. Looking at the data in it’s entirety, Healthcare IT may be an extremely valuable direction to go.

For comprehensive information about specific occupations or fields, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/emp/emptab21.htm

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date on the latest training updates from LearnSmart.

Looking to advance your IT career or secure training for your Enterprise? LearnSmart offers the absolute best training materials for technologies including CompTIA A+, Network+,  MCITP Certification, CCNA Training and more. The LearnSmart Cloud Classroom makes studying better and more convenient by putting your training in the Cloud and supporting compatibility with most mobile devices including the iPad 2, Android and many more.

1. Sexual Harassment Prevention (State Compliant)
2. CASP LearnSmart Video Training 
1. This exam certifies that candidates have technical knowledge and skills required to conceptualize, design, and engineer secure solutions across complex enterprise environments. Video instruction is provided by Tom Carpenter, one of the founding managers of the Certified Technology Services Professional certification. 
   
3. Office Project 2010
4. Understanding Business Ethics
5. Web Development Fundamentals
1. The  MTA Web Development Fundamentals course provides users with an in-depth understanding of core programming concepts like; Object-Oriented Programming, Error Handling, and Computer Decision Structure as they come to know the difference between Inheritance, Encapsulation, and Polymorphism. Video instruction is provided by Tony Northrup, who has focused on Windows development and administration for the last eighteen years.
   
6. .NET Fundamentals
1. Tony Northrup has focused on Windows development and administration for the last eighteen years. Author of 30 technology books and training programs, he brings this experience to our MTA .NET Fundamentals course. Tony covers all of the objectives of certification exam 98-372 while providing students with real-world development techniques.
   
7. QuickBooks 2011
8. Google Presentations
9. Software Development Fundamentals (98-361)
10. Google Documents
11. Security+ (SY0-301) 
1. Security+ 2011 video training provides detailed explanations and hands-on examples of how to meet and exceed all exam objectives. Video instruction by Tom Carpenter, who has delivered training programs to more than 27,000 IT professionals since 1997, focuses on how to implement and maintain an effective security strategy within your company’s network infrastructure.
   
12. MTA Windows Development Fundamentals (98-362)
13. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
1. LearnSmart Systems provides professional training that serves as a way to increase your understanding of switches and routers as you seek to  successfully complete all three CCNP exams:  SWITCH (642-813), ROUTE (642-902), and TSHOOT (642-832). These three exams are the focal point of video instruction presented by Tom Carpenter who has delivered educational programs to over 27,000 IT professionals since 1997.
   

Per CompTIA:

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification designates IT professionals with advanced-level security skills and knowledge.

The CASP certification is an international, vendor-neutral exam that proves competency in enterprise security; risk management; research and analysis; and integration of computing, communications, and business disciplines.

The exam covers the technical knowledge and skills required to conceptualize, design, and engineer secure solutions across complex enterprise environments. It involves applying critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of security disciplines to propose and implement solutions that map to enterprise drivers. For more detailed information, download the exam objectives.

While there is no required prerequisite, the CASP certification is intended to follow CompTIA Security+ or equivalent experience and has a technical, hands-on focus at the enterprise level.

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification was accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)on Dec. 13, 2011. The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification may be kept current through the CompTIA Continuing Education program.

Check out the CASP Exam Details below:

LearnSmart will release new CASP Certification Training in the near future. We are working diligently on this course to get you the most effective training available on your computer, Smartphone or other mobile devices. Our training will give you the support and knowledge you need to become a CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner.

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date on the latest training updates from LearnSmart.

Looking to advance your IT career or secure training for your Enterprise? LearnSmart offers the absolute best training materials for technologies including CompTIA A+, Network+,  MCITP Certification, CCNA Training and more. The LearnSmart Cloud Classroom makes studying better and more convenient by putting your training in the Cloud and supporting compatibility with most mobile devices including the iPad 2, Android and many more.