The widespread use of computers, advances in other technologies, and an increasingly competitive global economy have created an environment where jobs require varied and highly specialized skills. What's more, the rapid changes in technology mean that the specific skills required for many of these jobs change regularly. To ensure that their employees remain skilled enough to perform their jobs and keep the business competitive, companies have to provide more training and development than ever before.(p.1)
Cervino (1997) goes on to note that because of the travel expenses, instruction costs, decreased productivity due to employee absence, and employee dissatisfaction due to disruption of their daily routine, many companies are electing to use distance education for employee training rather than to send them out of the company for face-to-face instruction. Moreover, he notes that many companies using distance education for employee training are finding out that it helps them to stay competitive in ways other than reducing costs. For example, employees participating in distance education can receive the training they need precisely when they need it. Also, they can learn new skills without it have a major effect on their current responsibilities, and, through online and other technologies, they are able to interact with co-workers in other sites, even other parts of the world. Further, employees in very remote locations now have the same access to training as employees in more populated areas.
No where is the need for job skills training more apparent than in Kuwait, a country virtually floating on a sea of oil. The country's economy is anchored in the oil industry with more than half of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) coming from oil production and refining. The small population of this country is simply not sufficient to run a modern economy, forcing Kuwait to call in labor from outside. Further, the level of skill among Kuwait...