Published: March 02, 2008 02:21 am      

A few ‘virtual’ lessons

Online training key for small businesses

FAIRMONT — Virtual training can provide a convenient solution for business people in today’s fast-paced world.

The Small Business Training Network, an online virtual campus of the U.S. Small Business Administration, currently offers 24 classes covering a variety of topics for small businesses. Some of the key areas include contracting, marketing, taxes and e-commerce.

“Our goal is to provide some focused content in a particular area and then lead people to resources that can support their needs,” Jim O’Connor, director of the Small Business Training Network, said.

The SBA has had online courses for about seven or eight years, and the offerings have evolved considerably in that time. The classes, available at www.sba.gov, provide “dynamic information” that often includes audio, graphics and other interactive features, O’Connor said.

“Our customers are looking for information that they can get into easily and out of easily,” he said. “We’ve created a number of smaller informational courses that offer very clear objectives up front.”

Right now, between 700 and 1,800 people from all over the world register for these free online courses every day, O’Connor said.

This self-paced training, specifically targeted toward small businesses, is accessible at any time and offers convenience for busy entrepreneurs. Many of the SBA’s clients are people thinking about starting a business or trying to expand their business.

“What people like most about them is that they’re easy to use, and they’re easy to access,” O’Connor said. “People use them to gain information about a particular topic area to help them in their business environment.”

All the classes are free, and the SBA also has business assessment tools available at no charge. The SBA will continue to develop more online training courses and will introduce a number of new training programs in the next few months.

“We watch very carefully our clients’ interests,” O’Connor said. “We see the Web representing the changing SBA and being able to serve our clients more efficiently and effectively.”

A project of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, the Network Learning Alliance is an online training system that began selling classes about three years ago.

The program recently expanded the availability of its online courses. Now that the Network Learning Alliance has moved into e-commerce, people will be able to access, search and pay for training over the Internet.

The Network Learning Alliance provides small businesses with the broad spectrum of training that they need. Training is available in information technology, human resources, legal compliance, basic business skills, project management, environmental safety and health, and many other topics.

Persons can visit www.networklearningalliance.com on the Web to get customized, low-cost training in more than 3,000 different subjects. The program offers discounts for West Virginia-based businesses.

Program Manager Stephanie Pethtel said a variety of persons, including college students and interns, have taken Network Learning Alliance courses. Training is offered at different levels, from basic to advanced skills. Many of the WVHTC Foundation’s affiliate members have enrolled in programs.

“We really try to customize it to ensure they’re getting exactly what they want,” she said.

More than 1,000 people are currently enrolled in the various training courses. Pethtel said many companies need certain certifications to get government contracts, and the Network Learning Alliance tries to supply quick, affordable training.

Sending employees off-site to train can lead to many additional costs for the business. A lot of small companies don’t have enough staff to cope with employees going away for a week for training, or they just don’t have enough time, Pethtel said. Plus, traditional training often overloads the student with information.

“It’s just a really good solution to our workforce today,” she said of the virtual programs.

Persons can access the online courses from a computer 24/7 and watch the training as many times as they want during a period of 12 months. People can take classes during their lunch break, in the evening or while traveling.

“The way that we’re moving into an IT-related sector, timing is something that you really have to stay on top of,” Pethtel said. “We’ve developed a process to acquire high-quality instruction to meet (the needs of) these IT workers.”

The Center for Workforce Education at Pierpont Community & Technical College of Fairmont State University offers career and professional development training and testing for many certifications. Paul Schreffler serves as director of economic development and workforce education for Pierpont C&TC.

At the first of the year, the center initiated a series of online career training programs that span across the major industry sectors in the area. Fifty or 60 different programs are available in a variety of subjects, such as health care and fitness, information technology, general business and management.

The online programs feature various types of instruction, such as online and textbook content and instructor-facilitated lessons. Each program has specific enrollment requirements, and financial aid is available for some.

Dale Bradley, vice president of Pierpont C&TC in charge of workforce development and off-campus programs, said some of the online programs could very well lead to employment opportunities.

The college has already received a number of inquiries, primarily from individuals, about these programs. Although Pierpont C&TC hasn’t specifically promoted its new online educational opportunity to businesses yet, this virtual training has applications for all types of people, Bradley said. Persons interested in obtaining additional certifications in their field or looking at career changes could benefit.

“I think there’s opportunity for the person to be able to enhance their careers on more of a flexible basis or begin a new career,” he said.

Bradley said online training gives individuals more flexibility and allows them to participate according to their schedules. People can register online at www.fairmontstate.edu/cwe/comptrain.asp.

E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.