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Then called upon to predict future global trends in professional development, one can safely say that the greatest advances in professional development will come not from identifying new strategies or processes, but rather from applying what people already know to be the best practices. The most pressing issue confronting educators in corporate IT training is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of implementation and the need to take steps to close this knowing-doing gap.

The future learning agenda is fraught with uncertainty, but certain distinct trends have been emerging in the IT domain with the emergence of new knowledge paradigms. Undoubtedly, an evolution is taking place in delivery strategies that are moving up the ladder from traditional class-based teaching systems to flexible and new learning solutions.

Globalization, together with ready access to capability-enhancing technologies and technological insights which once restricted to a few leading economies, is resulting in greater competition within the US and EU, and more widely within the developed world. With increased competition for jobs and the emphasis on continuous learning, a significant number of people are boosting their qualifications online.

The primary goal of IT learning is to help corporate learners add value to their learning during induction and even after they become pay-roll employees. It basically means extending the blackboard learning outside training hours. Todays enterprises cannot afford to have employees on bench for long periods. Fresh from induction or in domains that are technologically evolving rapidly, they need to find a place for themselves. This requires them to acquire critical skills and enjoy comfort levels in relevant domains.

IT training revolves around offering relevant courses to the industry so that each learner can complete and imbibe advanced skill sets within a pre-determined time, get assessed and certified.

Also, with talented manpower in short supply, companies in new industry domains like IT, pharma, and retail are relying heavily on in-house training programs. Added to this are new skill-set requirements and high rates of attrition. Faced with these vexed issues, what does a company do?

The above problems create three distinct problems for corporate training, especially IT training today: which is the best means of deliveryonline or offline; what are the hot topics on which training should be provided; and is it possible for companies to implement a company-wide learning management system not merely to improve training, but also to have a performance management/talent management system in place.

Training Delivery
Even though the current move in organizations has been to offer training on CDs, Web-based training (WBT) is not far behind. According to a report by Learning Resources Network on training delivery methods in the US, currently, 80% of instruction is by live teachers, but about six percent of that is remote, mostly online. Computer-based training with no live instructor accounts for 13% of training. About 9% is by on-the-job, self-study or other means, the report points out.

Currently, most computer-based training is through CDs. More training is provided via Intranets than the Internet. Experts expect both of these delivery systems to expand in the future. The key is that multiple ways of delivering training are available to meet the needs and preferences of any employee. Education experts point out that if organizations are not exploring methods of delivering training that utilize CDs, the Intranet, the Internet, and subject matter experts, they are limiting their potential to serve the needs of their organizations.

Traditional classroom training is no longer the exclusive opportunity to learn. The age of training that includes training CDs, email classes, online learning, blended learning, and university degrees online is gaining more and more momentum, and these training opportunities are here to stay.

This move to online learning has created several sub-conversations. One is Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) that deals with the interface between people and software. Another is creating and offering courses that trainees will actually finish; the drop out rate in self-monitored training is high.

In a less positive direction, some providers of traditional training were attempting to move traditional, manual-based courses online, Learning Resources Network report point out. The resultant courses looked like training manuals online and did not tap into the advantages of the Web including interconnectivity and the ability to publish real-time, up-to-the-minute information.

Traditional correspondence learning delivers the same lessons to everybody. However, e-learning can provide individualized, adaptive lessons. The feedback loop is greatly shortened to a few minutes instead of few days or weeks of correspondence learning. Higher interactivity and better measurement of students are other important differentiators.

E-learning is spreading because of the interest shown by IT companies, which want their employees to stay updated all the time. The employers now want to keep their employees updated about the latest studies. Moreover, one has to constantly sharpen his skills. Estimates indicate that e-learning can be delivered at one-third the cost of traditional learning in a sustainable manner. With careful service, the quality can well exceed almost any form of learning. This makes e-learning perhaps the most dominant form of IT training in future. The decreasing cost of computing and communications, wide availability of computers, mobiles, Internet and wireless networks and the development of new technologies that enable personalized lessons and training will certainly pave way for this evolution. At last count, the global e-learning market was expected to touch $21 bn by 2008.

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