SkillSoft Seminar Series Addresses the Use of Blended Learning for Formal and Informal Employee Training

NASHUA, N.H., April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/–

SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL), a leading provider of e-learning courseware and referenceware for business and IT professionals, today announced a seminar series designed to assist human resources and training executives in the development of blended learning strategies for immediate impact on employee performance and demonstrated return on investment. The seminar series will be delivered in 35 major cities throughout the United States and Canada from April through June. The seminars, titled “Blended Learning for High Performance Impact,” are targeted to directors and managers seeking to address the formal and informal learning needs of technical and business employees through the integrated use of a variety of learning resources.

The free seminars cover a variety of topics, including how to determine where blended learning has the highest impact potential, proven methods for measuring value, the role of instructional design, and different blended learning models. Detailed case studies demonstrate how companies such as Bechtel, IBM, Cargill, and Unisys have implemented similar models to support employees’ long-term development goals, as well as just-in-time information needs.

All seminar attendees will receive supplemental resources, including detailed templates for a variety of practical blended learning models and an index of articles, books, and other research on blended learning. Attendees will also receive a white paper, titled “Blended Learning Strategies: Selecting the Best Instructional Method.” The paper details the advantages and disadvantages of 20 different synchronous and asynchronous instructional methods and offers specific considerations and recommendations for effective use in blended learning initiatives.

“A recent Department of Labor study shows that 70 percent of employee learning takes place informally and on a day-to-day basis – through books, mentoring, talking with peers, and other activities,” said Dorman Woodall, director of e-learning strategies for SkillSoft and a seminar presenter. “Yet many organizations continue to focus solely on formal training activities, such as classes, seminars, and structured courses.

“A blended learning approach – incorporating all types of learning resources – can be very effective in meeting both formal and informal training needs and gives employees more choice,” continued Woodall. “Furthermore, organizations can utilize learning resources to solve on-the-job problems and daily information needs.”

“Corporate learning is in a time of transformation,” said Karen Petersack, associate dean of technology for Unisys University. “We’re moving to training programs that promote ongoing learning as opposed to isolated learning activities. Furthermore, most training executives are focusing increasingly on performance and productivity impact and other bottom-line business

measurements, in addition to cost savings.” Unisys University currently

includes more than 200 active blended learning curricula paths encompassing both technical and business skills development. More than 7,000 employees worldwide are currently enrolled in Unisys University, and more than 3,500 have completed one or more curricula paths.

Seminar Schedule

On-site registration for the free seminars is from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The seminar program begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at noon. To make reservations and get details on specific seminar locations, call 800 327 6960, extension 4283, or go to www.skillsoft.com and select “News and Events.”

Scheduled seminars include:

Atlanta May 13

Birmingham, AL June 19

Boston May 22

Calgary, Canada June 25

Chicago June 3

Cleveland June 17

Dallas June 5

Denver April 24

Des Moines May 28

Houston June 4

Kansas City, MO June 11

Las Vegas June 12

Little Rock June 12

Los Angeles June 17

Miami June 10

Milwaukee May 29

Minneapolis May 27

Nashville June 19

New Orleans June 12

New York City May 21

Ottawa, Canada June 10

Phoenix June 11

Richmond June 19

Salt Lake City April 22

San Antonio June 3

San Diego June 18

San Francisco/Bay area April 30

Seattle May 1

St. Louis June 10

Stamford, CT May 15

Tampa/St. Petersburg June 20

Tulsa TBD

Vancouver, BC, Canada June 26

Washington, D.C. June 18

Winnepeg, Canada June 24

*SkillSoft may add seminars to the above schedule. To get schedule updates, call 800 327 6960, extension 4283.

About SkillSoft

SkillSoft is a leading provider of e-learning courseware and referenceware for business and IT professionals. SkillSoft products and services are designed to accelerate the ability of today’s workforce to master the business

and technology skills required for competitive success. The company

currently has thousands of corporate customers worldwide and more than 4.5 million licensed users.

SkillSoft focuses on meeting the comprehensive business skills and information technology learning needs of professionals in Global 5000 organizations through a comprehensive range of content-focused, e-learning solutions, including:

— Business Skills Library: More than 1,800 courseware and simulation

titles encompassing professional effectiveness, management/leadership,

project management, sales & customer-facing skills, business

strategy/operations, finance, human resources, safety/health and

financial services industry. Courses feature strong visual design; a

focus on instructional objectives at the application and analysis

levels; learner interactivity and reinforcement through RolePlays,

SkillSimulations, and case studies; and pre- and post-course

assessments with prescriptive learning capabilities.

— IT Skills and Certification Library: More than 1,900 course titles

encompassing software development, operating systems and server

technologies, Internet and network technologies, enterprise database

systems, web design, and desktop computer skills. The IT library also

supports more than 70 certification exams.

— ITPro and Business Pro Referenceware: More than 3,500 unabridged IT and

business books and reports are available to online subscribers through

SkillSoft’s subsidiary, Books24x7. A unique, patent-pending search

engine gives subscribers the ability to perform multi-level searches.

SkillSoft customers include organizations such as: Siemens Business Services, Novell, American Red Cross, Fluor Corporation, Verizon, U.S. Army, Deloitte Consulting, Raytheon, IBM, Internal Revenue Service, Army National Guard, Qwest, Department of Transportation, and NEC America.

For more information, visit www.skillsoft.com.

SkillSoft, SkillPort, RolePlay, Search-and-Learn, e-Learning for the Knowledge Economy, NetUniversity, and Accelerated Path are trademarks and/or servicemarks of SkillSoft PLC. Books24x7.com and Referenceware are

servicemarks of Books24x7, Inc. All brand names, trademarks, or registered

trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Contacts:

Linda Galloway

Apollo Associates

203 790 1591

lgalloway@apolloassociates.com

Dennis Brown

Director, Corporate Communications

SkillSoft

630 707 9024

dbrown@skillsoft.com

SOURCE SkillSoft PLC

-0- 04/01/2003

/CONTACT: Linda Galloway of Apollo Associates, +1-203-790-1591, lgalloway@apolloassociates.com; or Dennis Brown, Director, Corporate Communications of SkillSoft, +1-630-707-9024, dbrown@skillsoft.com /

/Web site: http://www.skillsoft.com/

(SKIL)