Elearning - September/October 2008 - (Page 29)

professionally, personally or both — needed more emphasis. >> Resource constraints: In many instances, individuals struggled with having the necessary time and financial resources. >> Low awareness: Employees were not taking advantage of already existing and fully funded resources, like SkillSoft and tuition assistance, because they were unaware of the options available. They were also under-informed of the resources that were available once developmental goals were identified. The company took into account all employee schedules and availability and decided that the best way to implement learning and development opportunities would have to be with a flexible solution. FedEx had already launched an online learning program powered by SkillSoft in 2002. Although the program was greeted with a warm reception, a more definitive return on the investment was desired. In those early days, the e-learning program success was affected by: >> Limited, if any, alignment to job roles or key initiatives that would create a compelling reason for learners to take online training. >> Culture of manager-directed learning, not continuous self-development driven by individuals. >> Difficulty in achieving widespread awareness of the online program’s availability. To help address these matters and achieve a higher return on investment, the FedEx learning team began looking for ways to get more value. HRD determined that blending the online program with an existing, popular program was the right approach. The end result had to be a program that was available to all FedEx Express employees and did not require mandatory participation due to the number of hourly workers who would not be offered paid time for self-development. The option most closely meeting the defined criteria was the corporate tuition reimbursement program. So FedEx Express leveraged SkillSoft’s ACE accreditation and existing relationships with higher education institutions and built the College Credit Consortium, taking standard tuition reimbursement to a strategic business level. “We searched our database and pulled out the 10 institutions we worked with the most and focused on formalizing our alliance with them first,” says Clara Wherry-Porter, HRD’s process improvement advisor. Now, the Consortium is aligned with 17 U.S.-based colleges and universities and provides employees with the following benefits: >> Free college credits for successful completion of e-learning courses. >> Tuition discounts that range from 5 to 50 percent. >> Deferred billing. >> Waived application fees during education forums. >> Free Prior Learning Assessment. >> Certificate options at no additional costs. >> Ability to skip terms without penalty during peak work time. >> Thirty college credits for managers with 500 training hours. >> Flexible degree programs. >> Custom curriculum development. Today, FedEx Express employees are much more aware of their development opportunities, plus tuition reimbursement dollars are stretching further then ever before. With a new Center for Employee Self Development (CESD) program now being rolled out, managers have new tools to discuss career paths and interests with employees. Together, the manager and employee review the in-house inventory of training available to identify the right opportunities. Then, the employee’s choic- Subscribe Now Government Learn How To: >> Leverage technology to accelerate performance >> Build competitive talent acquisition, retention and succession strategies >> Share best learning & development practices >> Tap Government Elearning! content via print, online and event venues Subscribe now at: http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com/gov/ Government Elearning! is a brand owned by B2B Media Company LLC Elearning! September/October 2008 29 http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com/gov/ http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com/gov/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - September/October 2008

Elearning - September/October 2008 Contents Editor’s Note News IBM Goes Green Green Resources Deals Trendlines Learning Leader Up to Speed Cover Story: Going Green The Green Mindset? Cutting Down Turnover Tips: EET Case Study: Pacific Pulmonary Services Case Study: British Telecom Case Study: Allianz SE Case Study: LXR Case Study: St. Elizabeth Tips: Green Initiatives New Products LMS Tools Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - September/October 2008

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