| Companies are faced with many challenges in improving employee training and development, while minimizing costs. Many companies are working with community colleges to provide training solutions. Community colleges offer a variety of affordable, flexible, and first rate training programs that can be tailored to individual company needs. In addition, training managers and human resource managers are asked for more accountability in spending the company's workforce training dollars. Return on investment (ROI) is one of the fastest growing metrics to measure the impact of training and development.;In 2001, an engineering company in Huntsville, Alabama teamed up with a local community college to provide web-based training course. A pilot study yielded positive financial results causing the company to allow all employees access to the training program. Both the company and the college had undergone various changes since 2001. With these changes and the fact that all employees had access to web-based training, the researcher re-evaluated the ROI and determined the impact of offering web-based training to all employees. A twenty question web-based survey was sent to employees who met the study criteria and who had accessed a course through the college's web-based training program. The survey received an 80.7% response rate.;The findings showed that training participants reported significant time and cost savings on the job as a result of the training. The average net return on investment per person was 1,755%, or ;Expanding the online training program appeared to have yielded positive financial results. The participants who took online training classes enjoyed the flexibility, accessibility, and convenience of online training. Some of their dislikes were technical issues. |
