An October 1995 Industry Report in Training magazine indicated that 92 percent of company training programs use videotapes, and 48 percent use some type of computer-based training, but only 9 percent report any use of distance learning by computer. The tide is turning, though. For example, Andersen Consulting has 41,000 employees in 152 offices in 47 countries, and devotes 6.5 percent of its gross revenues to training. In 1993, almost all of its training was conducted in traditional classrooms. By the year 2000, Anderson plans to offer only 30 percent of its training in conventional class settings and 70 percent of it through distributed learning methods, including the Internet.
Businesses have to train their employees more frequently than ever before.
Many businesses compete in broader markets than in the past and have mobile, distributed work forces. Web-based training gets around the problem of equipment incompatibilities. Our thesis is that partnerships between businesses and institutions of higher education can help meet the training and information-technology needs of business while simultaneously growing the expertise and technology base of colleges and universities. The business community benefits from the instructional expertise of the university and obtains a useful, cost-effective product or service. The benefits to higher education, in addition to the dollar revenue, include real-world experience, expansion of business relationships, experience for students, and tool development and technology transfer.