Esri Educational Services has assembled a new training solution designed to help Esri software users achieve success. Learning pathways are logical collections of instructor-led and Web courses that teach knowledge and skills that users can apply directly to their jobs.

Esri offers a wide variety of training options, but many users are not familiar with which classes work best together for accomplishing specific tasks. Learning pathways combat this problem by providing guidance on which training to take to acquire the skills users need to achieve their goals. Within a learning pathway, participants can choose courses based on their own interests. The focused paths enable users to use resources efficiently and potentially reduce training costs. Users who complete a learning pathway receive a certificate of completion.

Bart Harms, Geoffory Cummings, and Charles Nelson are the first to complete the GIS Analysis learning pathway. This pathway includes six courses that cover fundamental ArcGIS and GIS concepts, as well as focused application areas and certain ArcGIS extensions. Once participants complete the required introductory ArcGIS courses, they can choose from a group of courses to fulfill the remaining training requirements.

The Participants' Views

Harms, a data acquisition technician with the city of West University Place, Texas, Public Works Department, decided to participate in the GIS Analysis learning pathway to update his skills and incorporate more GIS tools into his work. Harms knew he was not taking full advantage of the software's capability and with increased knowledge he could implement new processes. "The Public Works Department was very eager to have us take training courses," says Harms, "and was looking at what courses we should take to get the most out of the training. The pathway program is a very good guide in leading organizations to a goal. The program helped us save time and cost because we weren't taking courses that may not be needed to learn a specific skill or meet a goal."

Cummings, also a crew technician with the city of West University Place Public Works, completed the GIS Analysis learning pathway with Harms. "I appreciated the convenience of the pathway program," says Cummings. "I can complete the Web-based courses from work, they are easy to follow, and I can do it anytime. Technology changes all the time and so does the need for training and understanding it. If you wish to fully understand the ins and outs of this software, these classes are a must-have."

Along with Harms and Cummings, Nelson, an Esri Authorized Training Program instructor and senior scientist in topographic science, recognized that pathways facilitate intelligent decision making when it comes to training. Nelson says, "With learning pathways you don't have to figure out what the next course should be as you're going along, which is useful because then users can plan what they should take for each level of instruction."

Benefits of Learning Pathways

Web-based training options from the Esri Virtual Campus offer a viable solution for the difficulties created by time and cost. Individuals from many organizations take advantage of this type of training to update their skills and learn the latest information without leaving their home or office. Esri instructor-led training offers another method for learning the most current technology in the shortest amount of time. Courses combine personal delivery, hands-on experience, and class participation.

Esri Educational Services will continue to develop learning pathways to meet particular job skills and goals. The second learning pathway, GIS Data Production and Editing, will soon be available, and more are being developed. For more information about learning pathways and to view the required and optional courses for the GIS Analysis learning pathway, visit www.esri.com/pathways.