DDLS offers all courses remotely during COVID-19 lockdowns

DDLS, the largest provider of corporate ICT and cybersecurity training in Australia, has announced it is making all of its courses available remotely effective immediately.

According to the company, this move is designed to protect the safety of customers and employees during the COVID-19 lockdown period, which is in effect in a number of countries worldwide, while still offering them the means to upskill.

DDLS has delivered virtual, instructor-led training to thousands of students over the course of the last six years via its telepresence technology DDLS Anywhere.

The delivery method provides a virtual classroom experience with full HD video and audio, enabling students to attend classes from any location.

DDLS Anywhere replicates the face to face classroom experience of DDLS classes in terms of visual and audio quality, and allows students to actively participate and interact with their trainer and other students, which is not available via a webinar, the company states.

The result of which is a more engaging experience than standard online training, which in turn improves student learning outcomes, DDLS states.

DDLS CEO Jon Lang says the move to remote learning protects the health and wellbeing of those taking the courses and is the best decision for the current circumstance, and users can rest assured the quality of the courses will be upheld.

He says, "For the safety of our customers and employees, in the face of ever more stringent government restrictions, we believe remote training is the best option for all involved.

"We would like to assure all students, there will be minimal impact on any training they have planned in coming weeks and months, and we will do our utmost to accommodate their requirements.

"We have the full support and backing from our key vendor partners such as Microsoft and AWS, and we have already successfully transitioned over 85% of future client bookings to our virtual offering.

He says, "The key advantage to telepresence over traditional webinar-based learning is that it provides a training experience that is enhanced, allowing students to actively participate rather than merely typing into a chat window, which in turn improves student learning outcomes.

"We also ensure classroom sizes are capped for a manageable and personalised learning experience.

Lang highlights the fact that DDLS's decision to make all courses available remotely is part of a wider trend of remote learning and working following the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says, "Businesses around the world are being challenged more than ever by the sudden shift to remote working.

"But that doesn't mean their skills and training needs should be put on hold. In fact, it simply means priorities shift and certain skills become even more important.

"We are already seeing increased demand in the areas of online collaboration and productivity via applications such as Microsoft Teams and Office 365, in addition to cybersecurity training, as organisations look to secure their remote workforce.

He says this is an important time to continue to upskill and develop deeper understanding of key areas.

Lang says, "With Virtual Instructor-led Training, DDLS can provide training in the skills organisations require immediately, in order to maintain business momentum in these very troubled and demanding times.