Archive for August, 2010

Back to School

August 30th, 2010 - by Angela

back-to-schoolWell, it is that time of year again…Back To School!  We have been getting geared up for that around my house.  My husband is going back to school for a Biology degree and is taking two classes this Fall.  My son is going to be going to day school two days a week, too. 

One of the items that we are considering purchasing is a new computer.  If it has all the specs that I’d like, we will have Windows 7 and Office 2010. Or, I’d take a Mac, too. (No, I’m not die-hard for Mac or PC.) I can’t wait to have a NEW computer with everything running perfectly!  Because I am a technology trainer by profession I can usually just sit and play with a program for a while and figure it out. 

My husband is not as excited as I am, though, because he doesn’t want to have to learn all the new software. He is perfectly happy with the previous versions of the software.  I told him about some of the new features and explained to him how he could benefit from the new elements in the software.  I told him that we could just sit down and go over the new features and show him the fun things he could do with it. He did not realize all the cool new elements that were in the new version of the software.

I realized that my husband was voicing the opinion of others, too.  I’m sure that there are some people who get a new computer and then get frustrated because they don’t have the time to try to figure out everything on their own. So, if you are one of those people, give us a call and we’ll set up a “new features” class to get you up to speed.  Think of all the interesting and fun things you could be doing with your new software!!

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Versitas Delivers Training for the University of Colorado

August 26th, 2010 - by Newsroom

Versitas announced it has provided custom software training services for the University of Colorado in Denver, CO. 

With 13 schools and colleges and more than 119 degree programs, the University of Colorado Denver offers a hands-on, real-world education in the heart of the west.

The University of Colorado Health offers top notch undergraduate nursing and biology programs linked with medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing and public health programs on their Anschutz Medical Campus in nearby Aurora.

Their business programs, located in the heart of downtown Denver, attract up-and-comers and top executives alike, and many of the state’s political leaders were trained in their public administration programs.

The University of Colorado School of Medicine was founded in 1883. To learn more about them, visit www.ucdenver.edu

About Versitas
Versitas ( www.versitas.com ) is a leading nationwide software training company delivering onsite and web based training to leading companies in 17 major US markets and around the world. 

For additional information, contact debbie.petersen@versitas.com

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Formal or Informal Learning?

August 23rd, 2010 - by Angela

the-odd-coupleSeveral of my reading materials lately have been related to formal and informal learning. There are staunch supporters on both sides. Both has their place in training but is one really better than the other?

In most of the articles, formal learning is usually defined as a learning event that ends in the learner earning a certificate or other form of achievement. The learner generally does not “set” the curriculum.

Informal learning can take place anywhere at any time. Often, the learning takes place because the learner is drawn to learn something new, not because it is dictated by someone else. Through informal and formal learning, the learner is able to do something or is knowledgeable of something that he/she did not know before.

As a trainer, I used to think of most of my training as formal since it takes place in a classroom or at someone’s work desk. However, I am re-thinking that description of my training sessions. Yes, some of the session is often set by a training coordinator or someone at the organization where I’m doing the training. But, during the training session, there are many occurrences of informal learning. We are able to address their individual questions or are able to customize the training “on the fly”, if needed.

Even more of the informal learning takes place during breaks, even over lunch if I go with the students in the training class. I’m always open to answering questions anytime when I do training. I realize that some students do not feel comfortable asking questions in front of other people, so they may wait until after the session or during breaks. I realize that I am not really “paid” for that part of my job, but I still feel that it is very important to do.

I hope you will see training as a formal and informal training event and not just a set curriculum. Let us customize your training and provide you with just the right mix for your training needs!

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Misaligned Training

August 16th, 2010 - by Angela

zen-sand In my recent reading on training and development research, I ran across a McKinsey survey.  The survey focused on organizational priorities and training. Over half of the respondents to the survey (60%) said that their organizations were not providing training in the areas that resulted in the most benefit for the organization. The priorities of the organization were not being addressed in their training programs.

Specifically, the survey found that only one-third of the organizations were utilizing their training programs towards their top three organizational priorities. The organizational priorities were the things the business did that would help drive business results. The results of the survey suggested that training at these businesses was “misaligned” with the top priorities of the organization. 

I think the term “misaligned” was a very appropriate descriptor of the issues that businesses face.  It seems like a difficult task to keep training aligned when the pace of the economy changes so quickly.  However, there are some ways to quantify and evaluate where the focus needs to be within an organizational training plan.

First of all, businesses need to find the right training partner. A great training partner will help you look at your current priorities and capabilities to see where the gaps are.  Then, you’ll want to design a program that has structure while still maintaining flexibility by using trainers that can customize and adjust, even within a single class. 

After each class or one-on-one session, an evaluation needs to take place to make sure the gaps that were identified at the beginning are being addressed properly. 

In today’s economy, you cannot afford to have inefficient and misaligned training.  You want to be in that one-third that is training so that your business is working towards its priorities to get your top results!

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Versitas Delivers Training for T.J. Harkins

August 9th, 2010 - by Newsroom

Versitas announced it has provided custom software training services to T.J. Harkins at their headquarters in Bolingbrook, IL. 

Founded in 1968, T.J. Harkins has evolved into a primary supplier of natural and organic ingredients. Their product line is focused on ingredients which contribute nutrition and flavor in the formulation of grain-based foods.

Experience in origin country sourcing, coupled with the financial strength required to operate in international commodity trade have allowed T.J. Harkins to become the clear market leader in the supply of specialty grains.   

To learn more about the company, visit them at www.tjharkins.com

About Versitas
Versitas ( www.versitas.com ) is a leading nationwide software training company delivering onsite and web based training to leading companies in 17 major US markets and around the world. 

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Become More Valuable at Work - Get Certified!

August 9th, 2010 - by Angela

scare-crow-2Even though the economy has picked up some, I still hear people talking about how hard it is to find a job. Even in the city where I live, which did not get hit as hard by the recession as some did, I still have friends that are taking over a year to find employment after a layoff/downsizing. Just today at the grocery store, I let a lady in front of me who seemed in a big hurry and who just had a couple of items to purchase. After thanking me, she explained that she was on her way to a job interview and needed to buy safety pins for her skirt that had a loose hem.

Through all of this, I see the need to have as many positives on one’s resume as possible. If I were in the position of job-hunting right now, I’d be looking to make sure I was as cutting edge and up-to-date on my skills. One of the ways is to become Microsoft Certified.

I was recently talking with a friend who was working through a book to help her learn Excel and Access 2007. She said that she worked through the book for the Word 2007 Certification exam and failed it. She said that she really needed someone to walk her through some of the objectives for the Certification exam instead of just looking at a book.

She was right! It made a big difference for her after she and I sat down and went over the items that were most likely to be addressed on the exam. Since I had taken and passed all of the certification exams for Office 2007, I was able to help her with some test taking tips, too. We looked at Certiport’s website (administrator’s of the Office Certification exams) to see all of the objectives for each exam and then went over them. Good news…she passed the second time around!

If you do not have a trainer friend to sit with and go over Certification exam skills, then you need to give us a call. You can invest in a 3 hour training session. If my friend had done that, then she would not have had to pay to take the test twice. I’m not guaranteeing that you will pass on the first time, but you will know the application better than when you started. Plus, you can customize the session to focus on just the application(s) that you need!

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