eLearning is a powerful tool in business training. Many companies rely on it to onboard new hires and expand the skills of workers in IT, customer service, HR, and other key departments. Most of these job roles involve working with a computer daily.
While eLearning works exceptionally well in an office setting, it is also a cost-effective solution for other types of training. Innovative business owners and entrepreneurs have used it to teach hands-on skills.
There is enormous potential when you can reach classes that span hundreds of miles and multiple countries. Videos, images, and live sessions can demonstrate movements, tasks, and much more. It’s an eLearning application that has come into clearer focus ever since last year when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented people from attending classes in person or going to the gym.
Even if you don’t operate in an IT field, eLearning could hold many benefits for your business. A solid LMS platform can enable you or your team to expand into new markets, even those that were previously unreachable because of physical distance.
Bengal’s Karate-Do Association Offers Online Training with International Masters
If you have ever wanted to learn karate from a master, now is the time to get started. The Karate-Do Association of Bengal has created an alternative to in-person martial arts training.
Like many others, the organization needed to find a way to continue teaching while social distancing last year. Webinars supplied a viable solution.
The association offered Kata and Kumite training sessions led by world-class coaches for members. The program was initiated by Karate-Do Association of Bengal President Hanshi Premjit Sen and was supported by Kyoshi Joydeb Mondal, a former National Kata Champion and General Secretary of the organization.
Two online sessions were held this month, hosted by Sensei Masoud Rahnama of Iran and Sensei Luka Valdesi of Italy.
The program was effective enough that plans for expansion are in the works. The Karate-Do Association announced that more online training will be added in the coming months.
FIFA Launches Football for Schools Foundation to Empower Children
FIFA launched its Football for Schools (F4S) program to support the education and development of around 700 million children. The program makes sports more accessible to young people by incorporating more related activities into the education system.
Some parts of the program include eLearning components. A free digital application by the same name is available on the Google Play and App stores. Participants can access an online learning platform with related content.
While FIFA’s F4S isn’t purely online, it is another example of how eLearning can be used to supplement in-person classes and reach more students.
Arts Council of Princeton Welcomes Students to Online Watercolor Painting Class
The Arts Council of Princeton and the Princeton University Art Museum have come together to offer free online “art-making experiences.” Art Making – Watercolors is a series of weekly classes that are led by instructor Barbara DiLorenzo. Sessions are hosted over Zoom so that learners can join at home or wherever they are. If you are interested in applying to Princeton in the future, there are many courses that help you to prepare for the tests. Here is a review of a Princeton course.
Each lesson showcases works from the museum’s collection with an introduction by an art museum student tour guide.
Art should be taught and experienced at all ages. It is a creative activity, but one that requires practice and skills to master.
“Through my years of teaching at the Arts Council of Princeton, I’ve seen how important creativity is to humans of all ages and abilities,” commented DiLorenzo.
“During the isolation of the pandemic, people from different parts of the world wrote to us to share that the Thursday evening free art classes were something of a lifeline in these challenging times. People spoke of their return to drawing after 30, 40, and even 50 years away. There were also many just starting out but feeling more comfortable after hearing me talk about erasing and making mistakes constantly.”
DiLorenzo also recounted stories of multiple generations of people gathering around the computer to draw together. Online learning creates opportunities for expression and bonding among friends and family.
Woman Turns Carpentry Skills into Profitable Business Using Zoom
One woman is using her carpentry skills to pay the bills by building and teaching learners online.
Tonda Thompson is a commercial print and TV model. Her company, Vogue Dreams, teaches modeling to youth.
She is also a woodworker and owner of She Slangs Wood. She began building furniture at the beginning of the pandemic. Her efforts have expanded into a money-making side hustle that is more than a shop class. Thompson hopes to build self-confidence in young girls and women, empowering them while they learn new valuable skills.
“A lot of people think that women can’t slang wood or women can’t build. And a lot of women have that in their minds that they can’t build or do it because they are a woman,” Thompson explained.
“With modeling, I teach young girls how to walk with authority, how to be confident. She Slangs Wood teaches women that there is a time you need to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself.”
“You don’t have to wait for nobody to do it for you.”
Just like anyone else, Thompson had to start as a student of the trade. She began by watching a female woodworker build a coffee table on YouTube. The project seemed easy, so Thompson did it herself and posted it online. People loved it and within a week she had 10 orders.
When she began, Thompson had a modest collection of power tools including a circular saw and drill gifted from a friend and some drill bits from her brother. Now, her garage serves as a workshop with a saw table, drill press, miter saw, joiners, air compressor, and planers.
What started as a desire to build items for her home quickly became a profitable endeavor. She received reviews on Yelp and hosted live demo classes over Zoom. Using an online platform, she now guides others as they develop their woodworking skills.
Agriculture Training Program Offers Online Workshop to Help Aspiring Farmers
Starting this month, aspiring farmers can enroll in free online workshops to build a sustainable agriculture business. Sessions are hosted over Zoom and cover many vital areas. Learners explore legal considerations and permits, growing media, infrastructure, marketing, specialization, sustainability, and nursery sanitation.
The workshop is hosted by LSU AgCenter Horticulture Agent Anna Timmerman from New Orleans. Timmerman has extensive experience working with market vegetables, nursery stock, and growing flowers. She also spent time in Chicago supplying custom vegetable production services for properties owned by Michelin-ranked chefs.
Through Zoom, Timmerman can reach a wider audience who can expand their farming skills and gain knowledge from someone with business experience from the comfort of their home.
Online training has many applications now. A need created by the 2020 pandemic helped more people and organizations explore the possibilities of eLearning. The first step is a good LMS that can serve as the backbone of your program. Check out LMS reviews to find the right platform for your organization.
