New! Telecommuting Certificate

Get the best professional development in telecommuting. Then boost productivity and your organization’s bottom line. 

For telecommuters, prospective telecommuters, those supervising telecommuters, decision makers, trainers, HR professionals, and anyone interested in telecommuting.

An online certificate program from the Learning Resources Network (LERN), a leading provider of professional development and pioneer in telecommuting.

Take the three online courses, take a 50 question test, and document your knowledge in this important and growing area for business, government and nonprofit organizations.

Online; offered 4 times a year: February-April; April –June; June-August; and September-November; just $495 total, includes exam, certificate and all 3 courses.

Individual Courses

Keys to Telecommuting Success

Telecommuting is becoming the “mainstay of corporate America,” according to a recent MSNBC story.  Telecommuters are 25% more productive than people who work in an office, meaning your company is more profitable.

Come discover the keys to making telecommuting a success for you and your organization.  For those new to telecommuting and those already working from home. Includes 100 page guide to telecommuting.

Month-long online course; offered 4 times a year (February, April, June, September); $145; Julie Coates, lead instructor.

Click here for more information on this course.

Supervision of Telecommuters

Telecommuters can be supervised from a distance better than people working down the hall. But supervision of telecommuters is different than for office workers.

Understanding the essentials of supervision is criticial for both telecommuters and supervisors, management and organizational leadership.

Telecommuters boost your organization’s profitability, productivity, financial stability, competitiveness and efficiency. Plus you can recruit the best people regardless of where they live.

Tour a model virtual office. Then take away the core management practices to supervise telecommuters for a win-win for both employees and management. After attending, you will have the knowledge necessary to successfully supervise, and be supervised, in a distance environment.   

Month-long online course, offered 4 times a year (March, May, July, October), $175; Greg Marsello, lead instructor.

Click here for more information on this course.

Advanced Issues in Telecommuting

Come discuss issues in telecommuting.  For experienced telecommuters, and those new to telecommuting.  Get the latest thinking from someone who works in a virtual office. Then talk about time off, vacation, working 9-5 issues,communicating via distance with work colleagues; face-to-face meetings with work colleagues; developing local professional contacts; creating social contacts in your community; and rebuilding community issues related to telecommuting.

Then discover how organizations will become virtual, and the implications for both organizations and workers.

Includes the instructors’ fascinating book “Nine Shift: Work, life and education in the 21st century.”

Month-long online course ; offered 4 times a year (April, June, August, November); $195; William A. Draves, lead instructor.

Click here for more information on this course.

ChecklistWhat You do:

  1. In the online classroom, listen to audio lectures, view slides, even take an optional quiz to test yourself.
  2. Then post comments in the online discussion with your fellow participants and the instructor.  Your instructor logs on once a day to answer questions and join in on the discussion.
  3. You also get a text to read 20 pages a week.
  4. Participate any time of day or night, as little or as often as you like. The ideal is to go online 2-3 times a week, but you decide.

It’s easy! It’s fun.

Mac MiniTechnical requirements:
-Internet access with Internet Explorer; Firefox Mozilla; or Safari web browser.
-Audio software such as Windows Media, Real, or Flash.
-Speakers to listen to audio.

Next offerings:

Keys To Telecommuting Success
June 7- July 2, 2010

Supervision of Telecommuters
July 5 – 3, 2010

Advanced Issues in Telecommuting
August 2-August 27, 2010

About Your Instructors

Julie CoatesJulie Coates has been working from home for over ten years.  She is a speaker, consultant, and Vice President for Information Services at the Learning Resources Network (LERN).

The organization is one of the first in the world to convert to a virtual organization, and now has staff and consultants in 8 states and 3 countries.  More than half of the staff telecommute.
  
Greg MarselloGreg Marsello supervises employees, contract workers and consultants from a distance and is an expert on operations, staff structure and organizational efficiency.

He has experience both in the manufacturing sector and the information sector. He began supervising employees from a distance in 1996 and has 12 years experience in virtual organizations.
  

William A. DravesWilliam A. Draves is a leading futurist, speaker and co-author of “Nine Shift: Work, life and education in the 21st century.”   He has been working from home for over ten years and worked with his Board of Directors and Senior Management Team to transition to a virtual organization in 1998.