Training trends encouraging for market growth

Training trends encouraging for market growth

Study indicates technology-based training shows promising future for both suppliers and customers.

By ROBERT PEASE, Associate Editor

One primary constant in the training and education market is steady growth, according to a study published by International Data Corp. Research (Toronto).

The catalysts behind this growth are the expanding alternatives of how training can be delivered to the customer, the widening number of service and product options infiltrating the technology market, and the customers` evolving realization of its value. idc`s 1997 report, Worldwide and U.S. IT Training Markets and Trends Report, clearly identifies several global market trends contributing to this market transformation.

Shortages of information technology skills--The existing supply of information technology (IT) professionals offers skills that fall well short of worldwide demand. While companies compete to hire more programmers, developers, and project managers, the growth and expansion of the global market is affected by the shortage of IT skills. As the pool of skilled workers becomes increasingly restricted, idc says corporate attitudes are changing. While not there yet, the market is moving towards the realization that developing and leveraging human capital can create a significant competitive advantage. This heightened focus on skills enhancement and human capital development has created a significant growth opportunity for training companies.

According to Christianne Moretti, manager of interactive training and education research at idc, corporations are increasingly realizing that to be competitive in the market, they need to make better use of the knowledge and skills of their people. "That means managing the knowledge effectively within the firm and developing concepts of a `learning organization,` " says Moretti. "As market interest and acceptance of knowledge management and the whole concept associated with learning organization increases, corporations will turn to their services suppliers for assistance, making this market one of the most promising future revenue opportunities in the training industry."

A market shift favoring technology-based training--Traditional classroom training environments are quickly becoming impractical, says the report. At the same time that corporations face growing time and budget constraints, they also must deal with an ever-expanding need to train more people in more places. With the introduction of new technology-based training methods, the market is shifting its focus from traditional instructor-led environments towards a wide variety of technology-based methods. This move presents significant revenue-growth opportunities for training providers. This increasing demand for a variety of training delivery methods to meet expanding education requirements can also be expected to drive development of new technology-based training services and products.

Global firms shifting to global training suppliers--As corporations expand their scopes worldwide, they are looking to large multinational training suppliers for their employee training, according to idc. Regional suppliers still represent significant portions of the local training markets, but corporate customers are looking to achieve economies of scale and a global consistency in the quality and content of training services they use. As large companies begin looking for global training suppliers, training providers will consolidate their position in the worldwide market through acquisitions and partnerships. This increased consolidation is expected to change the competitive nature of the market for regional, national, and international players.

Taking a look at trends throughout the U.S. marketplace, idc projects the training market will become more complex. The number and variety of training options is greatly expanding, thus forcing customers to sift through an increasing array of training choices. Recent market changes are also encouraging training firms to transform themselves into companies that sell services of a more consultative and strategic nature, as opposed to classroom environments or a cd-rom product sales approach.

Other U.S. market trends observed by idc during 1997 include:

an increased focus by Wall Street and

venture capitalists on training and education firms,

a push by larger clients to outsource their

training needs to concentrate on "core" business,

teaching specific software products as

they relate directly to job roles or functions within the company,

a broadening focus on employees attaining

both vendor-specific and vendor-independent certification.

Training and education services remains one of the fastest-growing segments of the global market. "What is particularly interesting," says Moretti, "is that, in the past, suppliers of alternative technology-based training had to do a great deal of `missionary` work and buyer education to convince customers that technology-based training was a viable training option. Now, we are finding that a growing number of corporations have accepted that this is a great way to train employees, and these companies are increasingly interested in the expanding variety of alternative learning methods."

For further information or to purchase this report, contact Christianne Moretti at idc by e-mail: [email protected].

Hewlett-Packard management shifts

Edward W. (Ned) Barnholt, executive vice president and general manager of Hewlett-Packard Co.`s (Palo Alto, CA) Test and Measurement Organization, has been appointed to head the company`s new Measurement Organization. Barnholdt joined the company in 1966 as a research and development engineer. Lewis E. Platt, chairman, president, and chief executive officer, will oversee the Computer Organization on an interim basis following the departure of Richard E. Belluzo, former executive vice president and general manager, to become chairman and chief executive officer of Silicon Graphics Inc. Also, Douglas K. Carnahan, senior vice president and general manager of the former Measurement Systems Organization, will retire after 30 years with the company.

Stacey G. Yates has joined KMI Corp. (Newport, RI) as a market analyst. Yates will contribute to the company`s ongoing market research and client services in fiber optics and advanced telecommunications technologies. Previously, Yates worked for The Walter Group as a consultant and most recently as a project manager with research responsibilities in areas including fiber-optic, cellular, PCS, Internet, and utility telecommunications networks.

Marc Cheshire has been appointed cable design engineer at PIC (Andover, Hampshire, UK). His new role involves the design and specification for new and existing fiber-optic cables. Cheshire comes to PIC from Pirelli Cables.

Gerry A. Simone has been promoted to vice president, corporate communications of lci International (McLean, VA). Simone will direct the company`s external and financial communications, corporate marketing, and national media relations operations. Since joining lci in 1994, Simone guided its communications strategy through a series of product launches, six acquisitions, and the company`s nationwide expansion into more than 60 markets. She has more than 15 years` experience in media relations, marketing, and advertising. Before joining the company, Simone held executive positions with mci Communications Corp.

Mark Steele has been named general manager of itt Cannon Hong Kong. Steele has been with the company for five years, serving as director of marketing and sales for itt Cannon Asia/Pacific and then as director, marketing and business development in Japan. Previously, Steele worked for Packard-Hughes Interconnect and GM Hughes Electronics Co.

Margaret Maxwell Zagel has been appointed vice president and general counsel of Tellabs Inc. (Lisle, IL). In this position, Zagel will be responsible for directing the legal services for the company and its subsidiaries. At the same time, she was also elected secretary of the company. Before joining the company, Zagel was general counsel of Grant Thornton llp, the seventh largest national and worldwide accounting and consulting firm. She was also a partner with Schuyler, Roche and Zwirner, a Chicago law firm with general corporate practice. Zagel replaces Carol Coghlan Gavin, who is retiring from full-time employment after serving as Tellabs` general counsel since 1988. Gavin will remain with the company to work on specific assignments and as secretary of the Tellabs Foundation.

Harvey Spreckman has joined afo (Fremont, CA) as director of sales. Spreckman has more than 20 years` engineering and sales management experience in high technology industries. Before joining the company, he was director of sales for the western United States at Ortel Corp. Previously, Spreckman held various sales and engineering management positions at Hewlett-Packard Co., most recently as southern California manager of aerospace and defense systems sales.

Stephen P. Bradley, the William Ziegler professor of business administration and chairman of the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School, has joined ciena Corp.`s (Linthicum, MD) board of directors. A member of the Harvard faculty since 1968, Bradley is also chairman of Harvard`s Executive Program in Competition and Strategy and teaches in Harvard`s Delivering Information Services program. Bradley`s most recent books on the telecommunications industry and the impact of technology on competitive strategy include Sense and Respond: Capturing Value in the Network Era and Globalization, Technology, and Competition: The Fusion of Computers and Telecommunications in the 1990s.

Robert Ferchat has been appointed to the board of directors of gst Telecommunications Inc. (Vancouver, WA). Ferchat is chairman and chief executive officer of bce Mobile Communications Inc. Ferchat has more than 30 years` of senior management experience. He was formerly chairman, president, and ceo of tmi Communications. Before joining tmi he held a number of positions with Northern Telecom Ltd., including executive vice president and chief financial officer, president of Northern Telecom International, and president of Northern Telecom Canada. His appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Tom Sawyer, former chairman and chief executive officer of nact Telecommunications.

Donald E. Lawson has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of LightPath Technologies Inc. (Albuquerque, NM). Lawson joined the company in 1995 as executive vice president, operations. He was elected treasurer of the company the same year, and appointed president in 1997. Leslie A. Danziger, inventor of gradium glass, founder, and chief executive until the promotion of Lawson, will remain as chairwoman. In that full-time role, she will focus on the expansion of the company`s patented gradium technology into telecommunications and other applications, and on the development of strategic relationships with key customers and the financial community.

Sherri Kightlinger has been appointed manager, corporate communications of reltec Corp. (Cleveland, OH). Kightlinger will be responsible for the management of corporate public relations, investor relations, and employee communications programs, as well as the company`s intranet and corporate identity initiatives. Before joining the company in 1997, she worked at Pioneer-Standards Electronics, Tremco, and William & Silverman & Co. Gwen Lindhorst has been named employee communications manager. Prior to her appointment, Lindhorst managed the company`s involvement and participation in domestic and international trade shows and assisted in the management and execution of marketing communications programs for the reltec Services and Power Products businesses. Also, Ron Sciepko has been appointed marketing services manager for reltec North America. Sciepko will be responsible for managing the various communications initiatives supporting the North America business, as well as the company`s Internet program. Most recently, he served as marketing communications manager for the reltec Services business and has also been the corporate webmaster since joining the company last year.

Lloyd Lemish has joined ET Systems Inc. (Rye, NY) as a sales executive. Lemish, who has more than 11 years of sales management, design, and implementation experience within the data communications markets, was most recently northeastern regional sales manager of Champlain Cable Corp. Bill Oggeri has also joined the company as a sales executive. Oggeri has more than five years of data communications industry experience and most recently was the senior inside sales and inventory control manager for Ace Wire and Cable.

July

7-9 Telecommunications Project Management course presented by bicsi (Tampa, FL). In Virginia Beach, VA, by Poe Enterprises Inc. Tel: (800) 526-1018.

8 Introduction to Fiber Optics. In Houston, TX, by The Light Brigade. Also in Austin, TX, 9, Dallas, TX, 10, Tulsa, OK, 13, Kansas City, KS, 14, St. Louis, MO, 15, Minneapolis, MN, 16, and Seattle, WA, 24. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

11-14 OE Expo `98 (International Optoelectronics Exposition). In Taipei, Taiwan, by the Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association. Fax: 886 2 396-8513.

13-16 Optoelectronics and Communications Conference. In Seoul, Korea, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Communications Society. Tel: 81 468 9 3015, e-mail: [email protected], Web site: onlab.tas.ntt.co.jp/apc/oecc/ oecc98.html.

13-17 bicsi Installation Training and Registration Program (apprentice). In Virginia Beach, VA, by Poe Enterprises Inc. Also (technician) 27-31. Tel: (800) 526-1018.

13-17 Fundamentals of Lasers, Fiberoptics, and Photonic Sensors. In Cambridge, MA, by mit Professional Institute. Tel: (617) 253-2101, fax: (617) 253-8042, e-mail: professional- [email protected], Web site: web.mit.gifdu/ professional/summer/.

20-22 Multimode Local Area Network course. In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128.

20-24 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: [email protected].

21-24 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In Burbank, CA, by The Light Brigade. Also in San Francisco, CA, 27-30. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245

24 Introduction to Fiber Optics--The Basics. In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128.

august

3-6 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In Denver, CO, by The Light Brigade. Also in Idaho Falls, ID, 4-7, Norfolk, VA, 18-21, Charlotte, NC, 24-27, and Seattle, WA, 31-Sept 3. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

9-13 its `98-sbt/ieee International Telecommunications Symposium. In Sao Paulo by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Communications Society. E-mail: its98@ lcs.poli.usp.br.

10-12 Singlemode Wide Area Network course. In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128.

10-14 bicsi Installation Training and Registration Program (installer). In Virginia Beach, VA, by Poe Enterprises Inc. Also (apprentice) 24-28. Tel: (800) 526-1018.

14 Introduction to Fiber Optics--The Basics. In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128.

14 Training Seminar: Introduction to Fiber Optics In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Also in Boston 17, Long Island, NY, 18, Philadelphia, PA, 19, Washington, DC, 24, Baltimore, MD, 25. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

23-28 Annual Multiplexed Telephony Conference 98. In Atlanta, GA, by Project Force. Tel: (510) 556-0810, fax: (510) 829-1512, e-mail: [email protected].

24-28 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: [email protected].

September

1-4 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In Dallas, TX, by The Light Brigade. Also in Houston, TX, 8-11, San Antonio, TX, 15-18, Washington, DC, 22-25, Philadelphia, PA, 28-Oct 1, and New Orleans, LA, 29-Oct. 2. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

13-17 National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference. In Orlando, FL, by BellSouth and Bell Communications Research. Tel: (205) 733-0194 (vendor exhibits) and (973) 829-5965 (technical program).

13-18 cleo/Europe. In Glasgow, Scotland, by the European Physical Society--Quantum Electronics and Optics Div./IEEE Lasers and Electro-optics Society, and the Optical Society of America. Fax: 44 0 171-823-1051 (attendance), (202) 416-6130 (exhibits).

14-16 Hands-on Training Course: Multimode Local Area Networks. in Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

14-18 bicsi Installation Training and Registration Program (technician). In Virginia Beach, VA, by Poe Enterprises Inc. Also (installer) 28-Oct 2. Tel: (800) 526-1018.

21-25 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: [email protected].

30-Oct 2 ComNet Confer- ence and Exposition. In San Francisco, CA, by idg Expo Management Co. Tel: (800) 545-expo, www.comnetexpo.com.

october

5-8 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In Chicago, IL, by The Light Brigade. Also in Minneapolis, MN, 13-16, Sunnyvale, CA, 19-22, and Anchorage, AK, 26-29. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

8 1998 Satellite Tele-Seminar Program: Cable Modem Technology (part one). Broadcast via Galaxy, IR, transponder 14, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time, by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. Tel: (610) 363-6888, ext. 220, fax: (610) 363-5898, e-mail: [email protected], Web site: www.scte.org.

12-14 Hands-on Training Course: Singlemode Wide Area Networks in Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

19-21 31st Annual Connector and Interconnection Technology Symposium In Danvers, MA, by the International Institute of Connector and Interconnection Technology Inc. and the Electronic Components, Assemblies, Equipment & Supplies Association. Tel: (800) 854-4248, fax: (908) 233-5116, e-mail: [email protected].

19-23 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: [email protected].

november

2 Introduction to Fiber Optics. In Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Also in San Diego, CA, 17, Long Beach, CA, 18, Burbank, CA, 19, Riverside, CA, 20, San Francisco, CA, 23, and San Jose, CA, 24. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

12 1998 Satellite Tele-Seminar Program: Cable Modem Technology (part two). Broadcast via Galaxy, IR, transponder 14, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time, by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. Tel: (610) 363-6888, ext. 220, fax: (610) 363-5898, e-mail: [email protected], Web site: www.scte.org.

16-19 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In Orange County, CA, by The Light Brigade. Also in Portland, OR, 17-20. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

23-25 Hands-on Training Course: Multimode Local Area Networks in Seattle, WA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

23-27 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: mr.bill.graham@ sympatico.ca.

December

1-4 Hands-on Training Course: Fiber Optics 1-2-3: Design-Installation-Maintenance. In San Francisco, CA, by The Light Brigade. Tel: (800) 451-7128, fax: (425) 251-1245.

14-18 Fiber-optic Installation and Splicing Certification Course. In Toronto by Mississauga Training Consultants. Tel: (905) 859-3063, fax: (905) 859-3013, e-mail: [email protected].

january 1999

25-28 ComNet Conference and Exposition. In Washington, DC, by idg Expo Management Co. Tel: (800) 545-expo, www.comnetexpo.com.