Mind the Gap

As the information economy requires more and more of us to become knowledge workers, the so-called IT skills gap threatens to grow ever wider and deeper. So how can companies ensure they get the most out of their employees?

The answer lies in better training. A number of specialist providers are now springing up offering a range of training, assessment and certification solutions designed to help both workers and their employers unlock their potential, develop the skills they need to succeed in today’s business environment and tackle the challenges presented by the skills gap.

Business Management spoke to New Horizon’s Mark Tucker and Certiport’s David Saedi to find out what firms need to consider in order to get the most out of a training program, and hears from Radio Shack’s Kenneth Reeves on why workforce training is a must.

CEO David Saedi has overseen the growth of Certiport from a small start-up company to the leading provider of global, performance-based certification programs and comprehensive solutions designed to enable individual success and lifetime advancement. He has led company efforts in development of the world’s first globally recognized standard for digital literacy – the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) – and diversification into new markets in more than 128 countries and 20 languages. He possesses more than 27 years of management experience in numerous industries.

As New Horizons’ Vice President of Marketing, Mark Tucker is responsible for marketing communications, branding, public relations and investor relations for all New Horizons locations worldwide. Mark has over 15 years of experience in marketing, beginning his career in the advertising industry where he worked with several California ad agencies managing both consumer products and high technology business-to-business accounts. Prior to joining New Horizons in 2003, Tucker held director-level positions with four software companies including Vision Solutions, Catalyst Capital and Island Data.

BMUS. According to recent reports, US companies are crying out for employees who can help fill the so-called ‘IT skills gap’. How serious is this shortage of properly qualified, certified IT specialists? What challenges does it pose?
MT. The IT skills gap has serious implications for the future of IT professionals, the success of US companies and the economic health of our country. The problem is not a shortage of job applicants to fill open positions but a shortage of applicants with the specific skills and educational background necessary to perform the job. One consequence of the IT skills gap is the exportation of IT jobs to foreign countries. Clearly this is distressing to American IT workers as they are losing their jobs and having difficulty gaining new employment. This outcome also presents a challenge to businesses, as they have to restructure their infrastructure to manage an extremely dispersed workforce. Over the years, many industries have had to face the challenges the American IT industry now faces. The key to survival lies in the ability for IT professionals to adapt to new job requirements.

To close the IT skills gap we must focus on the acquisition of advanced skills and increased job productivity. It is a daunting task to keep your skills up-to-date with IT tools that are constantly evolving. However, for IT workers to remain gainfully employed they must continually upgrade and expand their skills. In turn, organizations that employ IT professionals must strengthen their commitment to the continued education of their workers to ensure qualified individuals are developing and deploying new technology, and protecting their infrastructure.

DS. The US is facing a significant labor shortage as baby boomers begin reaching retirement age. As more and more jobs require higher levels of technically skilled workers, individuals are finding themselves unqualified for jobs they could have easily managed before the infusion of technology. Not only will there be a shortage in traditional IT focused roles but also in traditionally non-IT focused jobs such as retail sales, manufacturing, accounting, mining and any other profession where people need to understand the basics of computer technology in order to be productive.

The ‘shortage’ has a lot to do with the fact that more and more employers are now requiring that employees from all functional areas possess key technical skills. These are skills that, not too long ago, fell exclusively under the traditional IT umbrella and today’s administrative assistants routinely perform technical tasks once considered IT-exclusive. In fact, there are over 415 new jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago that require a basic technology skill level for 50 percent of the job duties.

Regardless of profession, the educational system must drive the following elements into each student’s entire journey to becoming an optimally productive worker. Those components that need to thread throughout the K-12 educational experience in the United States include deep knowledge; skills (hard skills); critical thinking skills (analysis of knowledge); real-world work experience; research skills; and creative (abundant) problem solving. These factors foster the ideal environment for a worker to be innovative and exhibit leadership capabilities regardless of which level they function at in an organization. Additionally, diversity across gender, environment, culture and experience is essential for success.

BMUS. What particular skills are in demand and how can your courses help companies bridge this shortfall? What solutions do you offer to businesses looking to enhance their staff knowledge and skill-sets?
MT. A recent Forrester Research report, IT Skills Shortages on the Horizon, identified eight IT skills that will be most in demand in 2005 and beyond: business analysis and relationship management; business intelligence and web-enabled analytics; enterprise architecture; security; Linux/open-source; agile programming; business process modelling; and web services (SOAP, XML, .NET and WebSphere).

This tells us that companies require employees with a wide breadth of knowledge. IT professionals not only need to know how to deploy, develop and protect technology, but they also need to solve-problems and implement solutions that support business goals.

The first step in New Horizons’ solution is to identify the knowledge gap of each employee. Our assessment capabilities help organizations measure deficiencies across their entire workforce in order to identify the specific training needed by each department, group and individual. We can then recommend a total training solution to fill the knowledge gaps. For instance, our Secure Organization training solution enables organizations to target specific training based on security threats and the knowledge and skills required by each job role to keep the organization’s information secure. Our Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework provides training on aligning IT services with business requirements. And our business skills and project management courses can be combined with our certification programs to round out skills sets.

DS. The Global Digital Literacy Council (GDLC) serves as the preeminent advisory body and as an authoritative voice on issues driving the development and implementation of global digital literacy standards and systems such as the Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) launched in 2001. In working with the GDLC to identify digital literacy standards, Certiport has been able to map foundational skills across a broad spectrum of jobs and create certification exams that adhere to these identified global standards. In addition to certification exams, we have a new assessment that not only identifies skill gaps, but also provides remediation and training for the individuals to prepare for certification.

IT skills such as programming and networking remain in high demand. But also in demand are the less glamorous but just-as-important desktop computing and digital literacy skills that support all businesses. Demand for these is at an all time high as employers are forced to shorten the ramp-up time that may be required before an employee becomes profitable. As a result, employers want employees who can begin delivering on day one.

Certiport offers businesses a complete pathway to assessing levels of digital literacy among employees through the Internet and Computing Benchmark and Mentor, certifying digital literacy through IC3, and elevating desktop application competence through the Microsoft Office Specialist certifications.

BMUS. How can companies measure the ROI on such courses? And why is it important that training is adequately managed and that progress can be tracked?
DS. Certiport has designed several programs that can deliver a computer literate and job-ready candidate that has no prior technology experience within 90 days. The Internet and Computing Benchmark and the Internet and Computing Mentor are two powerful assessment tools, mapped to globally accepted digital literacy standards, which provide businesses with a robust new system to evaluate the level of digital literacy among their employees. Companies at all levels are realizing the competitive advantage that comes through building digital literacy among their employees – digitally literate businesses have lower levels of turnover, higher levels of productivity and are better positioned to take advantage of new opportunities.

With individualized learning plans, companies can organize employees based on their current level of digital competence. Individuals that need extra training won’t be left behind and those with more advanced knowledge can bypass training on skills they already have. This allows employers the ability to accurately classify employees, provide individualized progress reports and address their needs with specific learning programs.

Robust and customizable reporting tools allow businesses the ability to understand the current level of digital literacy of their employees and measure the ROI gained by the implementation of new programs and the use of technology. Meanwhile the Data-Driven Training Development suite of reporting tools allows trainers and instructors to generate critical data needed to evaluate current programs and adjust training courses to best meet the needs of employees.

The Internet and Computing Mentor provides individual prescriptive learning by offering three levels of assistance and custom study guides that map to approved courseware. Through these tools, the Mentor identifies learning gaps and tracks the employee’s efforts in completing a task, thus allowing employers to address specific knowledge deficits.

All too often, employers find technology a hindrance to training because of the disparity among their employees’ level of digital competence. The Internet and Computing Benchmark and the Internet and Computing Mentor give employers the tools they need to eliminate the digital disparity among individuals and focus on using relevant levels of technology to enhance the training experience.

MT. Typically, the quality and success of a training program is measured by students’ reaction to the instructor, courseware and environment; the verification that skills were gained; the transfer of knowledge to the job; and the increase in productivity or effectiveness on the job. New Horizons uses a number of tools to capture this data and measure the effectiveness of our training programs.

First, student evaluations are collected immediately after each class and then again 60 days after the class. The resulting data is then compiled by a third-party analytics company. Quality indicators tell us the level of quality and satisfaction of the students, effectiveness indicators gives us a quantifiable measurement of knowledge and skills gained, and project impact data measures the impact training had on the job. All the post-class results are then quantified for an on-the-job analysis showing the return on investment. New Horizons also utilizes pre and post-assessments and practice exams to verify the acquisition of skills as a result of training.

Many organizations fail to realize the full benefit from their technology investments because their employees don’t receive adequate or effective training, so the ability to measure the quality and effectiveness of training is extremely important. ROI measurement also justifies the costs incurred in training and is critical in gaining support from leaders of an organization to continue or expand training programs.

BMUS. Are you seeing a growing interest in online training and, if so, what do you think is driving this demand? What do you see as the pros and cons of online/distance learning versus face-to-face education?
DS. In the past, online/distance learning was primarily limited to ‘for profit’ colleges and universities. Then traditional degree-granting institutions started following suite. Now the internet has also proven to be an effective way for delivering most any type of non-academic skills training. Online skills training is occurring more and more frequently with individuals who are preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce, or who just want to brush up on their technical skills in order to perform better at their existing jobs. The advantage of these types of training programs over online degree programs is their much lower costs, which typically don’t require you to go into debt – hence their appeal. What’s more, online skills training is often more practical than online degree programs since training modules are typically purchased a la carte.

MT. Identifying the appeal of e-learning is easy. It is cost-effective, especially when training a dispersed workforce; and it is flexible, so that training can take place anytime, anywhere. However, some argue that e-learning is not as effective as classroom learning because it lacks the one-on-one interaction that only live instruction can provide. An instructor not only answers questions but can also assess the students’ level of knowledge and tailor the material accordingly.

Clearly, when it comes to training, one size does not fit all. The future of training lies with blended learning that allows students and organizations to choose the style of learning that will best fit their specific needs. For instance, New Horizons Online LIVE Learning combines the human interaction benefits of classroom learning with flexibility of e-learning by providing a live instructor-led experience, via the internet.

New Horizons has taken the idea of blended learning one step further with our Mentored Learning delivery method. This innovative modality provides students with lecture, hands-on practice and one-on-one mentoring by a certified instructor. Students have the ability to control the pace at which they learn and the content covered, as well as determine their own training schedule. This flexible and focused approach to training merges multiple learning styles to meet the needs of a multitude of students with varying skill levels and learning preferences.

BMUS. Business management ideas, regulations and technologies are constantly changing. How do you ensure your courses are always at, or ahead of, the leading edge?
MT. New Horizons is able to offer courses at the leading edge of technology because we partner with the vendors that develop the technology. New Horizons holds the designation of being the largest network provider for many of the technical and certification vendor programs. Our participation in these programs gives us access to official curriculum. When official curriculum is not available, New Horizons uses ‘best-of-breed’ content to make certain that the training we provide to our students utilizes the most up-to-date and comprehensive information available in the industry.

Our position and strategic relationships with our vendor partners also enables us to receive timely notification of courseware or exam modifications and updates. This empowers us to continually update our courses as needed based on the latest technology and vendor requirements. For instance, as a strategic partner to Microsoft, New Horizons has access to Official Microsoft Learning Products Courseware and can even access information about courses still in development.

Furthermore, since New Horizons has authorized vendor status, our clients are assured that our training has met the stringent requirements associated with the authorizations.

DS. Anticipating and acknowledging trends in the digital age is crucial to providing individuals with relevant and employable skills. Because the needs of employers are constantly changing, Certiport engages in regular reviews and enhancements to its certification standards.

In the development of IC3, the GDLC represented key geographic and industry stakeholders in the identification of issues, definition of best practices, and research and development of programs related to global digital literacy. In addition, GDLC members received input from more than 400 subject matter experts in 20 different countries worldwide to solidify the standard’s components.

BMUS. Finally, what trends do you think will have the greatest influence on the IT training and development sector over the next 12-18 months? Are there any developments you see as being particularly important?
DS. We see several trends that are currently in place or rapidly developing. First, many nations from around the world are facing shortages of qualified instructors, or worse, instructors with outdated skills by current IT standards. Second, open-source standards are providing trainers with new and more cost-effective means to reach customers. This new opportunity is reflected in open-source e-learning tools. Lastly, cost containment measures will be taken to restrict the outsourcing of IT training to countries with low-operating-cost infrastructures.

In closing, the sustained economic well being of communities and nations hinges on the ability of businesses, governments and educational systems to embrace performance-based, self-directed and standards-driven learning. Learning that incorporates the technology tools of our time will help build an optimized base of resources that can contribute immediately to nations seeking to build a competitive advantage in the digital age.

MT. One continuing trend in IT training and development is within the area of security. As organizations seek to protect their infrastructure from security attacks they will require that their IT department stay current, or even ahead of security solutions and technology updates. Also, as already mentioned, web services experience and certifications are in high demand as is expertise with Linux/open-source technology. A greater emphasis will also be put on the certification of IT workers. As technology becomes more complex and specialized, organizations will require, now more than ever, that their employees have proven knowledge and experience working with technology. One of the most effective and accepted ways to prove expertise is through certification.

However, the constantly changing technology landscape is not the greatest influence on the IT training and development sector. IT training managers and training companies have always had to adapt to new technology. The greatest change to the training industry will be the training itself. Training is evolving to keep pace with advances in technology to ensure organizations obtain the full value out of their technology investments. One of the growing trends in training is the replacement of the learn-then-do model by the learn-while-doing model. This emerging trend was influential in the creation of New Horizons Mentored Learning model. Mentored learning not only delivers training through self-paced audio and video, students also have access to the production environment during the entire course. This allows the student to pause the lecture at any time in order to practice the newly learned skill in the production environment to reinforce their newly attained knowledge. A mentor is also present to answer questions and provide additional instruction to help increase the student’s comprehension and retention of the course material.

Rapid advances in technology can lead to the rapid erosion of knowledge. US companies and their learning partners must continue to develop learning solutions that ensure workplace competence and, therefore, maintain their competitive advantage.

Driving forces behind the IT skills gap
• Ever-accelerating rate of new and available information
• Current US education system is only designed to address pieces of the technology skills gap
• Curricula not keeping pace with outside environment (demand in job skills)
• Teachers falling behind technology advances
• Technology not effectively integrated across (or not a common thread throughout) entire curricula or educational experience for students
• Students are learning differently from traditional educational system methods
• Bridges between academia and businesses are not built into the system (internships, etc.) – as a result, the critical skills necessary to meet ‘hit the ground running’ in business today are not being fostered and developed
• Early exposure to real-world problems for students is not built in to existing educational system

Pros of online training
• Students become intimately familiar and comfortable with using a computer
• Learning can occur anytime and anywhere
• Self-paced learning that caters to an individual’s schedule
• Generally less expensive than other learning channels
• Availability of wide selection of courses

Cons of online training
• Less face-to-face interaction with an instructor
• Requires more discipline on the part of the student (assuming online learning is self-paced)
• Challenging to work around technical difficulties
• Uncertainty as to the quality of the training/education since many online courses don’t have a recognized certification or academic accreditation

Why workforce training is a must
How are companies responding to the question of training? Kenneth Reeves, Vice President for Diversity of Radio Shack, Inc. Global, draws on his experience gathered from top-level human resource positions in companies such as Enron and Reliant Energy to offer his thoughts.

Companies can and must align education within the business goals to ensure that what they are learning is actionable to the business. If the education and training is not aligned with the business strategy and strategic plan of the business, it will not be endorsed or supported by top management. Moreover, when budgets are tight and education is not aligned properly, funding will most assuredly be cut.

HR departments typically use the following tools to identify which areas need development:

• Performance analysis: by determining the root cause, HR managers can first determine through an analysis if training is necessary.
• Observation: managers observe employees on the job and determine performance gaps.
• Feedback: from peers and other employees and self-feedback often determine where training may be needed.
• Performance reviews: well-documented performance reviews, using behavioral examples can determine areas of development.

Depending on resources, businesses can utilize a variety of training tools to train and motivate staff, from ‘brown-bag’ seminars to corporate universities that tie training initiatives into the strategic goals of the company. Other tools include self-development tools (e-learning, SOP utilization, reading books, company-sponsored training initiatives, learning management systems, classes, seminars, broadcast training and ‘webinars’); and learning from assignments (i.e. mentoring in other departments, chairing a task-force, serving on a cross-functional work team, etc.). Research continually shows that companies that do not make an investment in the developmental future of its employees suffer the effects in terms of lower employee moral, increased turnover, loss of competitive advantage and decreased profits.

Once you have identified high-potential employees, development solutions are the key to providing the opportunities to sharpen their skills and prepare them to take on leadership roles in the company. The development solutions can consist of training, mentoring and coaching opportunities. Another key area is succession planning, which consists of identifying and developing current officers to take on CXO level positions in the company.

Workforce training and development is a must for companies in today’s society to maintain a competitive advantage. Increased competition, regulatory bodies and changing technology make this a difficult task indeed. The need for training, re-training, and lifelong learning by professionals demands that continuing education and staff development accommodate diverse learning environments, including the home, office or off-site. The challenge for an organization is to make learning available to its members when and where the need arises; learning faster than one’s competition is being met through distance applications. The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage you have.