Satellite Campuses

The Veterans Benefits Administration, for instance, uses a satellite system to beam classes to 63 different facilities across the country. VBA has been using the one-way video, two-way audio system for five years. It allows the agency to reach up to 1,500 employees at a time. "We used it for a sexual harassment workshop, doing two sessions a day, and probably trained over 9,000 employees," says Luisa Hill, employee development specialist, VBA.

The system wasn't cheap. VBA spent $7,000 to set up each facility with a satellite. That includes the cost of the satellite dish, wiring the building and purchasing televisions, VCRs and other equipment. Then there is the $1,500 a month paid to the Federal Aviation Administration for a dedicated channel on its network. And don't forget the $175 per hour VBA pays GE Space Net, which operates the FAA's satellite network, to broadcast a class. There's one additional headache: In order to broadcast a class, VBA officials have to check with folks from both the FAA and GE Space Net to make sure they can get access to the satellite.

That will change next year, however, when the Veterans Health Administration gives VBA dedicated space on its satellite network. VBA will have access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the first 18 months, VBA will get a free ride, but after that it will have to pay around $3,000 per month to its partner agency. That's a flat fee, there is no hourly charge. Still, George Wolohojian, VBA director of employee development and training, says the costs are well worth it. Not only does VBA reduce travel expenses, but it also increases productivity. Workers need only miss a half day or a day of work as opposed to an entire week.

The Social Security Administration also continues to bolster its satellite system, into which the agency has funneled $20 million since first hitting the airwaves in December 1996. Last year SSA conducted nearly 250,000 training sessions via satellite. This year, that number is expected to increase to 300,000. SSA's satellite network consists of 830 sites and five broadcast studios giving 85 percent of employees easy access to training courses. There are plans to add 135 sites this winter and hit 1,300 sites by 2002. That would cover all SSA employees.

Phillip Dulaney, deputy director of SSA's office of training, explains why the agency is so committed satellite training: "We needed to save money and we wanted a consistency of training. It's much better to have the people who develop the policy deliver the training."

Family values factor in as well, says Dulaney. Many employees have home situations that make it difficult for them to take a few weeks off to travel to classes. That's especially important for new recruits. An entry-level employee at SSA has to go through 7 to 13 weeks of training. "We are seeing a positive return on our investment. We are recouping 100 percent and then some," Dulaney boasts, noting that employees are receiving quality training without leaving the workplace.