October 2, 2000

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E-Learning Program Addresses Company Growth

CTC's rapid expansion causes company to shift product training to online format

By Sandra Swanson

More on E-learning:

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TC Communications Corp. has been grappling with a rapid expansion: about 50 new hires per month during the summer, and plans for 14 new products in the coming year. The Waltham, Mass., provider of integrated telecommunications and data services, says that a recently implemented E-learning program is addressing many of its challenges related to fast growth.

CTC previously conducted employee training in the classroom, but this summer it shifted all of its product training and 70% of its new-hire training to an online format. The shift to E-learning for product training allows salespeople to get educated about products more quickly, says Jackie Winchenbaugh, CTC's VP of training and development. Since August, CTC has rolled out two products and a new application. "With brick-and-mortar training, it would have taken at least a month to roll out each one," says Winchenbaugh. CTC, which has nearly 800 employees, created instructor-led courses based on Centra Software Inc.'s Symposium E-learning application.

E-learning also helps prevent information overload for new hires, says Winchenbaugh. The training is delivered in modules no longer than two hours, and all sessions are recorded so employees can refer to them later. Previously, employees had to travel to CTC's Waltham training center for several days each month over a four-month period. She says CTC expects to save more than $200,000 a year in travel and other expenses related to classroom training.

But CTC has found that the paperless classroom still hasn't arrived. Initial feedback shows that trainees are clamoring for presentations they can print out, allowing them to take notes on paper during the E-learning sessions. Employees now receive a Word document version of presentations before a training event. Says Winchenbaugh, "It's something I never would have considered, but it made a world of difference."

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