Business Training on the Internet

An innovative program at the Rutgers University School of Business at Camden allows working adults to learn at any time of day or night -- and choose from 1,300 classes.

The Online Management Certificate Program provides business training on the Internet, the first such program offered by a four-year college in southern New Jersey.

"It's the most effective and efficient way for adults to develop their management skills I've ever found," says William Reynolds Jr., executive director of the William G. Rohrer Center for Management and Entrepreneurship at the Rutgers University School of Business at Camden.

The program -- a sort of online, animated textbook -- features an instructor's voice and many interactive elements that lead students through each page. Also, online discussions allow students and live Rutgers instructors to exchange ideas and brainstorm solutions to job-related challenges.

"Unlike a classroom, the program forces you to pay attention," Reynolds notes. "You can't continue until you've answered questions."

Both students and employers praise the program.

"It's very easy to use. I like the flexibility of it," says Hank Lubsen, who lives in Hazlet, Monmouth County -- about 80 miles from the Rutgers-Camden campus.

A computer software programmer who lost his job to outsourcing, Lubsen has taken more than 100 online course modules as he prepares to start his own communications business.

At Jevic Transportation, a national motor carrier based in Delanco, more than 260 employees have enrolled in the program since it debuted last year.

"The (Rutgers online program) has been instrumental in helping our people develop the skills to be successful and help the company meet its goals," says Richard Walsh, Jevic's director of organizational development.

Convenience and cost savings are key benefits for Jevic, where managers are taking classes in leadership, communication, planning, and customer service.

"Instead of having to do all-day training programs, [employees] can take online courses and have short training sessions," says Walsh, describing Rutgers' "blended" approach, which combines online lessons with brief in-person classes.

Walsh estimates that this technique costs 40 percent less than traditional methods. "Training is very expensive in a classroom setting. This saves significantly."

Businesses also find the program good for mandatory instruction. For instance, many firms must train employees about sexual-harassment issues, due to insurance requirements. The online program offers a quick, efficient method - plus documentation of each employee's performance.

Reynolds says the program is cost-effective for individuals, too. The $1,299 registration fee entitles a student to take an unlimited number of course modules for a full year while earning a certificate. The student may earn additional certificates during this period, for a reduced fee of $750 each.

The program offers eight standard certificates - in supervision, management, marketing management, human resources, budget and fiscal control, hospitality management, information technology, and pre-MBA. Each certificate is equal to three college courses, and offers 12 continuing education credits. Customized programs are also available.

Course modules take from two to four hours to complete. Working at their own pace, students can take up to a year to finish the 25 components needed for a certificate. Students also participate in two live seminars per certificate, where they simulate real-life business activities.

And, Reynolds notes, "You can download the program and work offline. We've had people take it on airplanes. The flexibility is really what's so wonderful about this."

The program, with a curriculum prepared by experts from top universities and provided by Internet publisher Thomson E-Learning, has already served 300 students and seven companies, Reynolds says. He predicts 500 to 1,000 people will be enrolled by next year.

Such growth seems likely, given the reaction of students like Lubsen.

"This is a really great thing," he says. "It's been a great experience."

For more information, call 856-225-6685, email rcompari@camden.rutgers.edu, or register online at www.petersons.com/rutgers.

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Author: Press Release-Rutgers