Free from the constraints of academic institutions, corporate universities are often on the cutting edge of education technology. There we find the use of distance learning techniques bringing far-flung co-workers into a common forum. We also find virtual universities, where the connection between student and teacher is via cyberspace.
Educating Jamaica for Production and Prosperity. Jamaica Observer, . Utterance by Leahcim Semaj, Friday, February 6, 1998. Available from <
http://www.jobbank-ja.com/downloads/educatejamaica.asp >.
[...]
In a recent issue of Fortune Magazine, a detailed look was presented on a revolutionary
concept referred to as Corporate Universities. I think this concept could be useful in the
Jamaican context as we attempt to educate ourselves for productivity and prosperity. In
the USA, 9.8% of their gross domestic product is spent on education. This represents a
total 619 billion US dollars. Interestingly, 60 billion of this is targeted on the
corporate education market. We are told that this is second only to health care spending which
attracts 14% of the US gross national product. Health care in the US has grown as a
function of being market driven, the same forces are now challenging the educational
system to better meet the needs of the customers. It appears to me that the development
of corporate universities is one of the main vehicles that is currently enabling the US
economy to remain competitive in the global market place.
A corporate university is really an extended in-house educational training programme
for a company. It is specifically designed to maintain tighter ownership and control of
the learning outcome so as to meet the company’s priorities. Too often when staff
members are sent to other institutions for training, the connection with the company’s
objectives become secondary and are sometimes lost. The corporate university has
evolved as part of the strategic effect to focus the purpose of educating employees,
customers and suppliers on the company’s needs. In 1988, the United States recorded
400 corporate universities. Ten years later, more than 1000 are in operation. Free from
the constraints of academic institutions, corporate universities are often on the cutting
edge of education technology. There we find the use of distance learning techniques
bringing far-flung co-workers into a common forum. We also find virtual universities,
where the connection between student and teacher is via cyberspace. In a recent annual
survey of corporate universities, some interesting trends were noted. They are as
follows:
1. There was closer alignment of the goal of education to the strategies of the
particular business. Interestingly, some companies have evolved the post of
Chief Learning Officer. This individual is often responsible for linking education
to the critical business strategies. The survey shows that in almost 20% of these
institutions, Chief Learning Officers report directly to the CEO. It is believed that
this trend will grow as companies seek to strengthen the partnership between
education and business goals.
2. The second trend is a greater involvement on the part of the leaders of these
corporations in the learning process. In many companies with corporate
universities, top management, including the CEO, spends an average of one day
each month facilitating the learning process. This provides the important role
model for the rest of the executives. It consolidates the commitment of the
leaders to the learning process. Too often in Jamaica, executives do not attend or
participate in staff training and development.
3. The third area noted is the increased use of technology to measure, track and
accelerate the learning process. Corporate universities are using solutions which
provide not just high-tech but also high-touch methodologies. The result is a
combination of fun, entertaining and engaging programmes. At present only
about 20% of the corporate universities utilise cutting edge technology, but the
prediction is that by the year 2000 this will grow to more than 50%. It is also
predicted that much of the training will be done via the company’s intranet. In
fact, the prediction is that intranet will account for more than 1/3 of all training
delivered via technology.
4. The fourth area indicated the development of a range of innovative alliances
with other institutions of higher education. This involves an increase in joint
degree programmes with other colleges and universities. The survey showed
that 40% of the corporate universities had such plans in place. The degrees were
primarily in the area of graduate degrees in Business Administration,
Engineering, Finance and Computer Science. The main driving force behind this
was to provide more portability of educational credentials.
5. The fifth inference coming from this recent study indicates the use of corporate
universities as a branded competitive advantage and profit centre. The corporate
university is seen to elevate the organisation’s brand name and it’s reputation for
business excellence. In many instances, they use the same techniques and
technology used for their business products to market the corporate training
programmes to outside interests. Presently in Jamaica there is a handful of
companies moving in this direction. The ones with which I’m familiar are doing
an excellent job. I only hope that companies that do not yet understand and
appreciate the educational base on which growth occurs will wake up and join
the revolution before it’s too late.
-- Main.guest - 07 Jan 2004
Keywords:
technology-delivered training,
collaboration in profit,
corporate education,
context dynamics
Português:
universidades corporativas
--
GregorioIvanoff - 12 Apr 2018
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