With SkillCentric's platform, previously known as myGUS, e-learning is so convenient that tutors can assist students and mark assignments in their own time, with ease from anywhere in the world. Shaun Lake from SkillCentric says: “I was on an international business trip with one of the tutors, and I thought to myself, is it not amazing that a person could be coaching other people located all over the world, whilst he was on the move?”
Although the courses are all online, tutors and students are still able to form a familiarity with each other, to the point where it's even possible at times to sense each other's moods. Lake says: “We've ensured that the virtual nature of the training doesn't detract from the human touch, which we do feel is important. We just don't feel that the relationship between tutor and student absolutely has to be formed face-to-face.”
The flexibility of SkillCentric's technology means that reality-type exercises can be constructed simply, taking students through actual processes, thereby enabling them to gain real-life experience in the process, and not just a certificate at the end of the course. Amazingly, most of SkillCentric's international projects were created and managed from South Africa, without ever having to have a physical meeting with the client. “It was all done online,” says Lake.
The proof is in the pudding, however, and the unique manner in which SkillCentric handles e-learning projects seems to work well, judging by the number of large, well-known organisations around the world using the technology. Lake says: “FOCA of Zurich, an aviation association concerned with auditing security at airports, constructed a course on our platform and educated people all over the world on various aspects of security auditing. Those that completed the course received audit qualifications that only FOCA can give.”
Another impressive success story is the global online training of 120 Kintetsu Worldwide Express staff, which was initially intended to culminate in a workshop in Singapore. Lake says: “Due to the effectiveness of the online tutoring, and the construction of the exercises, the results were so surprisingly good that KWE did away with the workshop as it wasn't necessary.”
In 2004, SGS wanted to use SkillCentric's technology to educate its clients globally on health and safety, ISO 9000, environmental management, and other compliance topics. Lake says: “This arrangement enabled SGS to conduct training where it may not have been feasible, particularly in the case of educating staff on specialist standards.” For example, SGS South Africa was responsible for its global project on forestry standards, and was able to train people in remote areas around the world, from its office in Midrand. SGS trained 200 people in Spain on food safety with a course completion rate close to 90%, and provided supplier compliance training to over 500 Reebok suppliers from the USA office.
SkillCentric's latest ongoing project involves the training of Canadian farmers in food safety, and the success rate of this project is expected to be just as high, if not higher, than that of previous projects.
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