MEDIA TRAINING: IDEAL FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Community colleges are a vital part of their geographical community, providing training for the area’s businesses and industries through both traditional and interactive methods.

Many of these institutions are now investing in media courseware in order to help solve a problem they currently face. Declining enrollment has been forcing many of these colleges to cancel their traditional (lecture/textbook) technical and vocational courses in maintenance and instrumentation. Yet, the skills taught in those courses are still very much in demand from their local community.

Local industry is beginning to tell them something. Industry is seeing that technology-based training is necessary, and that the training platform has to be accessible, affordable and accountable. Knowledgeably designed CD-ROMs and e-learning platforms meet those requirements, especially when coupled with the community college environment.

Smaller companies often can’t afford training because it’s not in their budget. However, if training is incorporated into a community college environment, it becomes both affordable and accountable. Also, unlike businesses, community colleges have the ability to review and accredit curriculums, bringing accountability to the training program. In this way, smaller companies are not left out of the training loop. They can compete in the marketplace.

Effective media training has allowed community colleges to expand their student base and to become both visionary and flexible, necessary traits in today’s competitive world. Most importantly, perhaps, it’s allowed the community colleges to retain lower-enrollment programs by meeting critical numbers, but on a flexible schedule.

Just one more way full motion/optional audio courseware has helped America re-train its workforce. Stay tuned. This movement has just begun.

— Bill Walton, Founder of ITC Learning
bwalton@itclearning.com

“AMERICA WILL CONTINUE TO BE BUILT BY THE HANDS OF ITS MEN AND WOMEN”