The Challenge

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) knew that it needed to train key personnel in each state in support of the deployment of O*NET (The Occupational Information Network) via eLearning. O*NET, a new technology product developed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment & Training Administration, along with a consortium of states, working together with NASWA, is a dynamic database of skills, knowledge, and abilities covering the information age’s world of work. Populated by surveys of businesses in the US, O*NET’s database is designed as a “common language” for the workforce development system (employers, educators, employment services, and job seekers) to help foster better planning and job placement to meet the demands of the new economy.

When Maher & Maher began helping NASWA, the existing training model was the same classroom-based model that was traditionally used for USDOL initiatives-requiring NASWA to hire and send trainers to state and local agencies to accomplish worker training. With tightening budgets, and a new philosophy called “E-Government” designed to breed better service and efficiency, we recommended that O*NET take a leadership role in the deployment of an eLearning solution designed to broaden their reach and achieve better budget efficiency in meeting their training mission. In partnership with NASWA, Maher & Maher provided the solution.

The Turn Point Solution

In late 2001, we deployed the first wide-scale eLearning platform from USDOL – O*NET Academy. The site features a mix of three different eLearning platforms:

• Live virtual classroom training “webinars” that offer the opportunity for professionals to join peers “live” on the Web for targeted training.
• Self-paced Web-based courses that feature interactive content for individual learning 24x7.
• Just-in-time tutorials that teach staff how to use O*NET in a variety of everyday tasks in short, step-by-step animations.

To enhance the eLearning experience, the O*NET Knowledge Site offers free downloads of classroom training materials, current product updates, training calendars, and peer-to-peer forums for knowledge sharing.

O*NET Academy – The NEW Way to Learn – was a featured training session at USDOL’s Workforce Innovation 2002 Conference held in Nashville. The Conference is the premier event for workforce development professionals from across the US, and is hosted by the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

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