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Ireland – 15th September 2003 – A recent Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) survey found Irish SME’s demonstrated a significant lack of understanding of what e-Learning is about.

“This report, “E-Learning and SMEs: awareness and usge”, was written by Mori for the CCI all the way back in 2003 and is still relevant today”, according to Sean Griffin, Co-Founder of Learn Skills, the web-based skills and compliance training company. The survey found that of the 681 respondents with Internet access, only 12% used eLearning on a regular basis. This is an interesting revelation, given that Ireland has won recognition on an international stage for its e-Learning materials and businesses

However the confusion is hardly surprising in the light of the low-profile that those involved in the industry keep, in terms of marketing to SMEs ; does the market know what eLearning is and how it can be applied in an SME context? Much of the vast publicity given to this topic has related either to Irish companies primarily on an international scale to multi-national/government clients e.g. Electric Paper etc.

As the owner of one Irish SME puts it “I have never been approached by an eLearning company selling their services. This is despite the fact that we are an extremely internet-friendly business and regularly send members of staff on courses.”

As any business manager of an SME will know, having key members of staff (and they’re all key in a small business!) away from the office can put a major strain on the company, yet in the case of the above SME, an e-Learning option was never put on the horizon – either by the SME or by eLearning suppliers.

The benefits are potentially huge. Some of the relevant potential benefits for an SME include;

• Reduced training costs; the cost per course should (in theory at least!), be lower than conventional training costs however the real saving may be in related expenses e.g. travel/accommodation etc.
• Reduced absence of key staff; as employees will not have to travel or leave the workplace, access at critical moments can be facilitated (although obviously this needs to be controlled closely).
• Improved training through shared learning online; as remote training can facilitate large numbers, the pooling of experiences and expertise can be beneficial.
• Standardised training across location; the training given in each location will be consistent and progress can be monitored.
• eWorking can be facilitated; eLearning can be undertaken at a different location e.g. from home, where appropriate.

The primary challenge facing eLearning companies selling into Irish SME’s is the need for clear messaging; what eLearning programmes are out there; how will they benefit the company?

This article was taken from Issue 93, 15th September 2003, e-Business Live, news provided by Enterprise Ireland.

Almost five years on and not a whole lot has changed, mainly the names and composition of Irish e-Learning companies. Learn Skills will aim to deliver e-Learning to the Irish SMEs in a format and way that can maximise results attained and provide SME employee and managers with the skills and training necessary to build a sustainable enterprise.

Five years from now when you think of e-Learning for SMEs you will only think of one Irish e-Learning company and that’s Learn Skills.

If you would like to learn more about how Learn Skills can benefit you and your company please don’t hesitate to contact us and we can tailor a training program just for you. To contact us simply click here.