General Motors Incorporates SkillSoft Business Skills Training Into General Motors University
SkillSoft Corp. (NASDAQ: SKIL), a leading provider
of e-Learning courseware and referenceware for business and IT professionals,
today announced that General Motors recently launched a new e-Learning library
comprised of SkillSoft business skills courseware and available to approximately
50,000 employees throughout North America. The e-Learning initiative gives employees
access to more than 260 courses in U.S. English, Canadian French, and Latin
American Spanish.
The SkillSoft courses cover a wide range of topics such as project management,
decision-making and team leadership. Employees access the courses through General
Motors University (GMU), a global network of education and training resources
designed for GM’s executive, management, technical and professional employees.
One of the largest corporate universities for salaried employees, GM University
has 16 functional colleges focused on the professional needs and business challenges
in areas such as communications, engineering, finance, legal, and service and
parts.
GMU offers approximately 1,500 courses worldwide through classroom delivery,
learning laboratories, satellite distance learning, and electronic and web-based
applications. SkillSoft courseware is the largest off-the-shelf library currently
available through GMU for foundation business skills training and development.
"We believe employee development is directly tied to competitive advantage,"
said Donnee Ramelli, president of General Motors University. "Over the
last two years, we have been adding e-Learning to complement traditional types
of training, such as classes and seminars. The new SkillSoft courseware will
be used in a variety of ways – as prerequisite courses; for addressing identified
skills gaps; and as foundation courses for those employees seeking to broaden
skills for their professional development or new job requirements."
"We are very pleased to be chosen as one of GM’s primary e-Learning partners,"
said Chuck Moran, president and CEO of SkillSoft. "GM’s commitment to global
learning and continual employee development represents a recognition of the
connection between training and business drivers such as increased productivity,
higher revenue per employee and talent retention."
About SkillSoft
With more than 500 corporate customers and two million user seats, SkillSoft
is a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated e-learning solutions for
Global 2000 companies and government organizations. Customers receive comprehensive
learning and performance support solutions for their workforce through SkillSoft’s
business skills library, comprised of more than 1,200 courses and simulations
for global business markets, of which more than 600 are in U.S. English. The
library, which includes more than 3,000 hours of interactive instruction, encompasses
a wide array of business skills, such as management, leadership, communication,
project management and customer service, as well as business subjects such as
e-commerce, finance, marketing, sales, and strategy. The library also includes
more than 12,000 learning objects, 2,500 job aids, 3,000 SkillBriefs.
SkillSoft complements SkillSoft courses with SkillSimulations, Web-based simulations
designed to reinforce skills newly acquired through specific courses. SkillSoft
courses can be managed and tracked through SkillPort, an e-learning management
platform that offers rapid implementation at a cost-efficient price point, or
through third-party learning management systems.
SkillSoft’s subsidiary, Books 24×7, offers subscription clients detailed online
searches to more than 1,900 unabridged IT and business titles and 300,000 knowledge
objects. Books24x7’s patent-pending technology platform gives users the ability
to perform multi-tier searches of the company’s Referenceware: ITPro, BusinessPro
and OfficeEssentials. The Books 24×7 Referencware libraries include offerings
from more than 65 publishers, including AMACOM, ASTD, Harvard Business School
Publishing, McGraw-Hill, Microsoft Press, and Sybex and Wiley.
For more information call SkillSoft at (603) 324-3000
SkillSoft, SkillPort, RolePlay, Search-and-Learn, e-Learning for the Knowledge
Economy, NetUniversity, and Accelerated Path are trademarks and/or servicemarks
of SkillSoft Corporation. Books24x7.com and Referenceware are servicemarks of
Books247x.com, 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
Christine D’Angela
General Motors University
313 667 5148
