Global Knowledge provides solutions to a variety of training needs, from the standard to the most complex custom solution. There have been many instances where Global Knowledge was the only solution for a customer who needed a large, complex training program implemented with both speed and quality. This section describes some of the stories behind the solutions that we've provided companies around the world.

Customized DoD Directive 8570.1 Training Solution Helps Increase U.S. Air Force Compliancy Worldwide

Profile: Air Force Agency

Our client is an Air Force agency who advocates information planning, resourcing, testing, training, implementation, and sustainment for their communications, computers, and information technology. The 8570.1 program manager for the agency is responsible for funding a portion of the training and certification of Information Assurance (IA) positions for Air Force personnel within the major commands and units.

Situation: DoD Directive 8570.1 Mandates Certification

The Department of Defense's (DoD) Directive 8570.1 mandated that certain IA personnel must be skilled and certified, based on their job role requirements, in the operation of computer systems used throughout its Global Information Grid. The agency had a requirement to have 10% of their staff compliant in 2007, then an additional 30% compliant each of the next three years.

The Air Force agency searched for a training provider that could provide the training that was needed to help their IA personnel meet the compliancy requirements of the DoD Directive 8570.1. That provider would need to be capable of deploying a large scale 8570.1 training program to more than 3,000 IA personnel at different locations worldwide while meeting specific learning objectives tied to the CompTIA certification programs, specifically A+, Security+, and Network+. The target requirement was to deploy the training in a short timeframe and help them improve their directive compliancy percentage.

The agency had an existing e-learning solution that IA-assessed personnel could utilize in preparation for their required industry certification exams. This solution was effective for a number of experienced personnel; however, a more robust instructor-led training program was required to ensure that the remaining personnel in assessed positions could effectively prepare for and pass the required certification exams.

Solution: Instructor-led Training Delivered to Students in the United States, Europe, and Asia

While DoD Directive 8570.1 was being written in draft form, Global Knowledge was already designing and mapping a solution to the directive. Prior to the directive being finalized, we were in the beginning stages of educating the customer on the directive and showing them how our training solution could help them prepare their people to meet the requirements of 8570.1.

The agency's 8570.1 program manager evaluated 5 - 6 possible training providers. Most of them were limited in their knowledge of the directive and many were limited in their scope to provide a consistent solution on a large scale.

They selected Global Knowledge for our knowledge of the directive, our customizable, comprehensive 8570.1 training solution and our global footprint. Additionally, having been a client of Global Knowledge's for 10 years, the agency program manager, knew he could trust us to rapidly develop and deploy a targeted learning program with quality content and instruction that spoke directly to their needs and provided excellent customer service.

Global Knowledge collaborated closely with the agency to craft a first to market customized solution that fit their specific training needs. We were given 45 days to develop the program and schedule 3000 individuals for training. On-site courses were scheduled based on the compliancy needs of positions assessed. Additionally, the Global Knowledge Federal Sales Representative met with each major command to explain the training that was being delivered and show them how it fit within the greater Air Force agenda. This helped set the proper expectations, accelerated our delivery schedule, and helped the agency stay within their budget and meet their training timeline.

This customized training solution was delivered to students located throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. It included CompTIA certified and Global Knowledge content delivered by CompTIA certified instructors. Various tools such as live mentoring, practice exams, study tips, and CompTIA study guides were incorporated to assist the student in obtaining the critical mass of knowledge to help prepare them for the corresponding CompTIA certification exams. A Global Knowledge Program Manager coordinated the student registration, distribution of course materials and student completion certifications, and tracked mentoring program usage.
The pre-course study requirements included study guide reading assignments, mentoring sessions with a Subject Matter Expert, and learning style and knowledge assessments. This helped the instructors understand the class skill set, strengths and weaknesses, backgrounds, and enabled them to tailor the training further to address the specific student needs. Additionally, it helped the students identify the areas that they were the weakest in so they could concentrate on those areas in class. This gave them a much better chance of absorbing the information during class and therefore succeeding afterwards during the test phase. We wanted students to know that we understood their challenges and that we would provide them with as many resourses as possible to help them be successful in achieving their certification.

Result: Compliancy Increases from 3% to 34% in the First Year

The training solution provided by Global Knowledge has proven to be a success. Seventy-one percent of the 3,000 students that went through the program achieved their certification. Air Force compliancy was just 3 - 4% prior to the program, and this first year of the program helped the Air Force push its overall compliancy up to 34%. During the program's first year, as many as 60 classes were running per month.

The agency is now in a much better position to secure its information and information systems. Students go back to their missions more proficient in their jobs helping them to better understanding the tasks and challenges at hand and how to accomplish them. Another division of the agency has since awarded new contract work to Global Knowledge as a result of the solution that we delivered for this agency.