Web-based tools adding flexibility to training.(Brief Article)

As society changes, companies are being forced to design training programs that are both cost- and time-effective and also keep employees abreast of technological and social advances.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has published an 80-question survey on the World Wide Web to which companies can refer when determining training needs. The "Checklist for Developing a Training Program" says a company should first set an overall goal, then determine what each employee needs to learn to reach that goal.

"Analyzing the goal can be done in the form of surveys or walking around and observing," says Camille Currier, account executive and training specialist for the Employee Training Institute in San Diego. …