SkillSoft’s Announces Achievement Awards in e-Learning

May 5, 2004

NASHUA, N.H., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/– SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL), a leading provider of enterprise e-learning, announced the winners of SkillSoft’s annual Excellence in e-Learning Awards on April 21 at the company’s Perspectives conference. Each year, SkillSoft recognizes individuals and organizations that have demonstrated innovation, significant business results, leadership, and other accomplishments in enterprise learning. The award winners were announced at a special dinner hosted by SkillSoft and presented by SkillSoft executives Jerry Nine, chief operating officer, Chuck Moran, president and CEO, and Greg Priest, chief strategy officer and chairman of the board.

Winners of the 2004 Excellence in e-Learning Awards are:

  • E-Learning Leadership: Deloitte’s internal learning initiatives were recognized for innovation, thought leadership, and business impact. Today, approximately 80% of Deloitte’s learning is delivered electronically. The company has established industry-leading best practices in blended learning curriculum to achieve cost efficiencies, reach global employee audiences, and support strategic business initiatives. The breadth and depth of Deloitte’s learning resources are instrumental in the ongoing skill development of its professionals and its ability to attract and retain the “best of the best.” Accepting the award were Candy Haynes, director of consulting learning U.S., and Tony Gleeson, global e-learning leader for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

  • Industry Achievement: Jim Malanson, director of global development for HP Services Workforce Development. Malanson was one of the first executives to recognize the value of enterprise distance learning for a global workforce. His teams have relied on e-learning to deliver training designed for ongoing skill development, to facilitate business change resulting from mergers and acquisitions, and to keep pace with an aggressive competitive climate. Today, HP’s learning audience exceeds 65,000 employees.

  • Instant Learning: Deloitte was recognized for its use of informal learning throughout the organization – 110,000 employees in 150 countries. In addition to supporting the “instant” information needs of professionals, Deloitte has incorporated online Referenceware(R) in strategic learning initiatives for Six Sigma and performance coaching. Candy Haynes, director of consulting learning U.S., and Tony Gleeson, global e-learning leader for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, accepted the award

  • Training Administrator of the Year: Two winners for this category were announced: Maureen McCormick, director of learning and development for The University of Iowa, and Abbie Edwards, senior manager of MCI Technical Training Center.

McCormick and her team established a university-wide e-learning program encompassing approximately 41,000 faculty, staff and students in a tough budgetary climate. E-learning is now linked to key university initiatives such as leadership and management training for university supervisors, HR-related training for faculty and staff, ongoing skill development for IT, performance management consultation, and educational outreach to alumni and diverse Iowa communities.

In response to a variety of business challenges, Edwards and her staff have built a distance learning program to provide timely, quality technical training to MCI employees, with a special focus on MCI’s 10,000 employees involved in operations and technology. Last year, the MCI Technical Training Center offered training programs in MCI systems, safety, networking, DXC, routers/switches, transport, protocols, programming, fiber, power, operating systems and IP technologies – most of which was delivered through televised broadcasts, interactive web broadcasts, and self-paced learning.

“We are proud to recognize the achievements of these SkillSoft clients,” said Jerry Nine. “These organizations truly represent the ‘best of the best’ in enterprise learning and offer the industry outstanding examples of how learning can successfully address business challenges and deliver significant business impact.”

SkillSoft’s Perspectives user conference, held in Orlando from April 21 – 23, was attended by more than 200 client organizations.

About SkillSoft
SkillSoft is a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning content and technology products for business and IT professionals within the Global 2000. SkillSoft’s multi-modal learning solutions support and enhance the speed and effectiveness of both formal and informal learning processes and integrate SkillSoft’s in-depth courseware, learning management platform technology and support services.

Content offerings include SkillSoft’s Business Skills Library and IT Skills and Certification Library; ITPro, BusinessPro, FinancePro, and OfficeEssential Referenceware collections by Books24x7; and health and safety compliance courseware by GoTrain.


Contacts:
Linda Galloway Apollo Associates LLC
203 790 1591
lgalloway@apolloassociates.com