E-learning provides the learners with the ability to fit learning around their lifestyles, effectively allowing even the busiest person to further a career and gain new qualifications. In the fast-paced world of e-learning, the available technologies to make a course exciting are always changing and course content can and should be updated quickly to give students the very latest information. This is especially important if the e-learning training is being given to employees in a sector where keeping up-to-date on industry developments is of the utmost importance. This is one of the reasons why many businesses are now offering training via e-learning – other reasons includes low costs and the ability for employees to study in their own time and place. E-learning offers an alternative that is faster, cheaper and potentially better.

One way to stay on top of a rapidly changing market is to implement a business strategy that maximizes the synergies between lifelong learning and workforce productivity. Without appropriate technological support, training programs appear to be less effective. Research has shown that e-learning proves to be an excellent way to achieve quality results in a short time frame. Online-delivered learning, within a context of continuous education, is considered strategic because it:

• Keeps the workforce appraised of their job functions’ developing requirements, enabling them to make a positive impact within their organisation and help that organisation achieve its aims and goals;
• Aids succession planning, helping workers to acquire the knowledge and skills to help them progress within their organisation;
• Allows organisations to keep training budgets under tighter control, develop and retain existing employees and reduce the costs related to external human resources recruitment, selection and on-boarding.