Steria and Learntesting today announced that they are launching a unique self-study environment to support the needs of employees pursuing professional qualifications from the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB). The online portal offers e-learning materials in English, German and French and provides self-study content to suit a variety of learning styles through real-time and remote interaction with subject matter experts and 24/7 online support.
Steria initially developed the portal with Learntesting to help its own staff in Europe and India study for the Foundation and Advanced level exams, part of the "ISTQB Certified Tester" international qualification scheme.
After the initial internal launch of the first French language e-learning ISTQB Foundation Certificate (CTFL), which has now been accredited by the French Testing Board, Steria has begun to experience demand for similar portals from other companies and so has developed the offering as-a-service to sit with the Steria: RightTesting portfolio and is taking this to market first within French speaking territories.
Financial and time constraints have made traditional classroom-based study for professional certifications challenging. As a result, online training and self-study methodologies can have significant benefits. Steria has already seen its online pass rates exceed those from corresponding classroom courses. Employees can prepare more thoroughly for exams online and decide when they are ready to sit them. This means time out of the office is minimised and motivation of students is increased as they are able to control their learning patterns.
In addition, the total cost of training and certification has been significantly reduced as students have the ability to study at the pace that best suits them.
Sean Beesting, group testing service line director, Steria, said, "As employee skills becomes an increasingly important consideration for businesses, helping our staff to achieve the necessary qualifications for career progression was a real focus for Steria. The development of the portal has had significant benefits for our staff and consequently our business and we are really excited to see that our customers are also recognising this. Our RightTesting offering is the perfect place to integrate the online portal as it allows us to provide resource as-a-service as well as recommend best practice initiatives to be rolled out across the wider community."
Mike Smith, managing director, Learntesting, said, "There is a growing demand for innovative self-study programmes which offer the benefits of traditional classroom study as well as maintaining students' focus and reducing drop-out rates. Virtualisation of learning supported by tutor interaction has not only brought success for those seeking industry certification, but provides students with the opportunity to build on ISTQB and other testing theory and to conduct practical training in their own time. Our work with Steria demonstrates that there is a demand for this type of support across the wider business community and it is something we hope to extend as far as possible in the coming years."
The Steria and Learntesting solution, Steria RightTest Learning, offers a rich warehouse of content to help students pass each exam. The materials offered go beyond traditional course content to include official sample exam papers, Learntesting exercises, questions and interactive tuition in real-time via Webex as well as administration, student monitoring and information management.
For more information please contact group_testing_line@steria.com
About Steria: www.steria.com
Steria delivers IT enabled business services which help organisations in the public and private sectors operate more efficiently and profitably. By combining in depth understanding of our clients' businesses with expertise in IT and business process outsourcing, we take on our clients' challenges and develop innovative solutions to address them. Through our highly collaborative consulting style, we work with our clients to transform their business, enabling them to focus on what they do best. Our 20,000 people, working across 16 countries, support the systems, services and processes that make today's world turn, touching the lives of millions around the globe each day.
Founded in 1969, Steria has offices in Europe, India, North Africa and SE Asia and a 2011 revenue of ?1.75 billion. 21%(*) of Steria's capital is owned by its employees. Headquartered in Paris, Steria is listed on the Euronext Paris market.
About Learntesting: www.learntesting.com
Learntesting provides software testing education solutions for certification and beyond, using an innovative, virtualized learning environment. We deliver both theoretical and practical training by combining self-study with real-time and remote interaction by subject matter experts. Learntesting is an ISTQB and BCS accredited organization, offering training via public and customizable corporate portals, in English, German and French. Our learning service includes 24x7 support from a global alliance of testing organizations in 14 countries. With a proven track record of certification pass rates, we have replicated the benefits of classroom learning whilst reducing the costs and increasing the availability of training.
Founded in 2002, Learntesting became the first ISTQB accredited e-learning organization in the world and has a Foundation Certificate pass rate of over 95% during 10 years of operations.
CONTACT DETAILS
Virginie Puchaux, Steria, +33 1 43 12 55 48, virginie.puchaux@hotwirepr.com
Lisa Chapman, Learntesting, +44 203 475 3330, lchapman@learntesting.com
SachdevRamakrishna, Director - Marketing, Steria(India)Ltd., +91 9871715438