Training has been considered a footnote to all the action in the real economy, where competitors clash in global markets and IT systems are used to enhance customer service.
But in a telling statistic, companies are increasingly spending more money on IT training for both IT and non-IT personnel. Despite waves of layoffs and gloomy economic news, a new International Data Corp. report says IT training revenue will increase worldwide at a compound annual growth rate of 13 percent, from US$22 billion last year to nearly $41 billion in 2005. This demonstrates a willingness and the long-term thinking of many firms to admit to the increasing complexity of and reliance on the IT systems they've installed.
But what kind of IT training makes sense?
First, determine the percentage of training that focuses on internal IT functions, on one hand, and that will be coordinated, on the other hand, with business partners and customers, some of which will be much less tech-savvy than you. IT training should encompass a mixture of spontaneous, small-scale, real-time issues, such as a denial-of-service attack or a power outage, in addition to the day-to-day routine of maintaining IT. Reacting swiftly to crises is as important as fixing mundane e-mail configuration problems. Clearly, one-size-fits-all IT training won't work, because you have executives, middle managers and factory workers with different requirements and levels of expertise.
Second, don't be afraid to experiment.
Because money spent on education and training is rarely correlated to direct sales, there's a temptation to play it safe, to do only what you perceive as having been successful in the past. This may satisfy any training mandate, but it won't lead to fundamental improvements in your organization's level of IT expertise. When was the last time you simulated a breakdown in IT operations? How long did it take for your IT SWAT team to get you up and running?
With experimentation should come training in new technologies such as wireless networks and mobile applications. In addition, pursue new training techniques like online learning (in North America, $15 billion will be spent on online training by 2004, according to IDC).
Finally, view current budget constraints as a time to craft an IT training policy to counter the parochialism born of IT spending in the 1990s.
IT training can be a unifying theme to enhance individual skill levels, increase job efficiency and emphasize interdepartmental cooperation. With many IT projects scrapped or on hold, it makes good business sense to help workers use what's already installed.
