Rather than attending seminars or classes, employees access and complete training programs from their work areas, when they have time, allowing their employers to improve efficiency and realize a host of savings. But while the rates of e-learning are growing exponentially, some experts say technology hasn't yet advanced far enough to realize the true potential for cyber education.
Some experts also warn that the lack of a human instructor can be a drawback.
The company expects those numbers to be 42 percent and 55 percent respectively by 2003. Seventy percent of corporations say a lack of skilled workers impedes their growth, according to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers survey. Managers feel pressed to deliver the instruction employees need to do their jobs and keep their companies competitive but in a short period of time, he says. Companies can also save money on training costs, two-thirds of which, Urdan says, come from travel expenses. Firms also save money by reducing the role of, or eliminating, a human instructor.