The Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) has installed a library of NetG and Xebec e-learning courses from ADvTECH Skills to initiate its first e-learning centre. Total investment in the e-learning centre is R800 000, including e-learning course material, hardware, facilities upgrade and capital expenditure.
Established by an Act of the Namibian Parliament in 1997, the parastatal college provides an alternative secondary education for those unable to take part in the formal school system.
It serves a core group of 20 000 grade 10 and 12 students and, as the student population is scattered across Namibia, instruction is not necessarily classroom-based. Ninety-five open learning centres throughout Namibia and facilities at the Windhoek-based college serve 10 000 distance education students.
The course material from ADvTECH Skills, a division of the JSE-listed ADvTECH Group, is bundled into courses for the corporate market covering presentation skills, management skills, customer care and secretarial skills. The material is also used for in-house staff training and school leavers.
Commenting on the adoption of e-learning, Frances van Wyk, director of Namcol, says it broadens the college`s range of delivery mechanisms, supporting the goal of developing the skilled people essential to Namibia`s social and economic development.
"We identified a need to diversify beyond secondary school programmes as admission to tertiary education is limited. This makes further training and advancement difficult and limits the pool of skilled people," says Van Wyk.
"Namcol, although a parastatal, has to be self-sustaining. By targeting the corporate market, government and school-leavers, we fulfil several needs."
"ADvTECH Skills assisted Namcol in its market research, identifying the need for training provision in the corporate sector," adds Ronel Martin, ADvTECH Skills account executive.
"The NetG and Xebec courses provide IT end-user and HR training, a foundation for computer literacy and soft skills. E-learning provides consistency at international standards and fits in with Namcol`s training requirement and long-term goals."
"ADvTECH Skills advised us on the setting up of the new e-learning centre and assisted us in identifying a suitably qualified person to run the centre in Katutura," says Van Wyk. "The e-learning centre`s progress is measured every four months by the Namcol Board. It has to be successful to continue. ADvTECH Skills` customer care has placed us on firm ground.
"Namcol must become a college of excellence which is locally and internationally recognised. Already, we develop our own material which has found markets in other countries. We have engendered confidence in our local community in our ability to deliver.
"Now, with e-learning we can go a step further and engage more closely with the standards and best practices of the global community. Our partners are a valuable asset and ADvTECH Skills has shown an understanding of, and commitment to, helping us achieve our goals."
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