Employee Training Is A TV Away

National - Business today is moving forward at the speed of light, and if entrepreneurs want to remain competitive, continuously training employees can no longer be considered a luxury, but a necessity. Unfortunately, the cost of sending workers to off-site training sessions might make you think twice before making such an investment.

Enter PBS' The Business Channel (TBC). Created in December 1996, this satellite learning network allows employers to bring its training to their location or send employees to partner sites nationwide for instruction. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Rhode Island recently became TBC's first SBDC partner.

Programming for the satellite broadcasts features noted business experts, such as Tom Peters and Harvey Mackay, and faculty from MIT. Sessions cover topics ranging from how to recruit, teach and keep talented workers to a special in-depth series on modern manufacturing that targets small and midsized firms. Upcoming topics include Y2K issues and creating successful work groups.

Entrepreneurs can access The Business Channel several ways:

• Become an alliance member for a $1,995 annual fee. This includes installation and setup of an 18-inch satellite dish, a 25 percent discount on individual educational programs, which are regularly priced from $100 to $1,000 each depending on the course, and free access to financial and business news channels such as CNN, CNBC and C-SPAN.

• Use the service on a pay-per-view basis. In this case, you're responsible for the satellite dish and must pay full price for the courses.

• Utilize one of the hundreds of sites nationwide broadcasting the courses.

• Go online. TBC has brought most of its educational programming to the Internet. This will allow any entrepreneur with access to the Web to participate in the training at http://www.pbstbc.com

For more information on the various programs or to find the location nearest you offering the courses, call (888) 822-8229.

This article was originally published in the April 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Employee Training Is A TV Away.