E-learning has ‘potential to save charities time and money’

As the demand for charity services grows, the pressure on learning and development (L&D) budgets increases. This means it is now more important than ever for organisations to find cheaper ways to deliver training programmes and e-learning could provide the solution.Next Wednesday (October 1st), the Charity Learning Consortium (CLC) will be hosting a seminar to demonstrate how collaborating with third sector organisations to provide L&D through online tools can save charities time and money, while also allowing them to reach more learners.The consortium will be hosting the free symposium at the National Council For Voluntary Organisations’ (NCVO) headquarters in London and is open to any charities looking to do more with less when it comes to their L&D budgets. Attendees will get the opportunity to hear CLC members share best practice when it comes to the savings that can be generated through e-learning.A variety of charities, not-for-profit companies, housing associations and voluntary sector organisations make up the CLC. All members work together to share the cost of e-learning and exchange expertise.Stella O'Neill, L&D special projects manager at the charity Crime Reduction Initiatives, will be speaking at the event, explaining how online tools have allowed her firm to make the most of learning technologies and how she has achieved a healthy return on investment.Commenting on the value of e-learning, she said you get more out of online training courses than you can realistically afford to pay out of an L&D budget and providers are often on hand to offer support when it’s needed.E-learning is a cost-effective tool that allows any organisation to provide training to staff at a reduced price without sacrificing the quality of the learning. Online courses enables employees to absorb information from the comfort of their own home or in the workplace, without the need to pay for travel and accommodation expenses.Online courses provide an unparalleled level of flexibility, meaning staff can work towards self-development at their own convenience, and ensures the workforce isn’t depleted while employees are away on training days.