Free e-Learning Courseware will Allow Companies To Measure and Improve
Readiness for H1N1 - Companies will be able to track, measure and confirm
whatemployees know and what they still need to learn

ST. JOHN'S , Oct. 27 /CNW/ - To address widespread concern over H1N1's potentially devastating effect on business if high numbers of employees become sick, on Wednesday, October 28 , a free new e-learning resource is being released to help companies prepare for and even stop the spread of H1N1. The program, called H1N1 in the Workplace, allows employers to assess and improve their company's readiness.

Emad Rizkalla is President of Bluedrop Performance Learning, the company that created the course. He points out that it has the potential to make a huge difference in removing the uncertainty that companies now feel. "The secondary H1N1 pandemic is the wave of ignorance and confusion around the disease," he states. "And few places are more in trouble than corporations. Uncertainty is rife in businesses over how to prepare for H1N1. It is true that most multinationals and large governments have completed planning and training that many experts say is of questionable benefit. However, tens of thousands of small to medium sized companies, whose employees total in the millions, have negligible planning and training in place. Many managers have had few resources to truly assess their readiness or measure employees' understanding of H1N1 and how to reduce its spread."

This course, will be available as of October 28 at www.coursepark.com/h1n1 and will let companies see in minutes their employees' level of preparedness:

    
    - Far beyond just distributing brochures or displaying posters, it allows
      companies to measure how ready employees are for H1N1, and correct any
      vulnerabilities that might remain.
    - A manager can easily distribute the course to all employees by email in
      minutes.
    - The detailed tracking system lets managers see exactly which workers
      complete the course, the scores obtained, and any areas of preparedness
      that might need additional attention.
    - The course, including a pre-test and post-test, can typically be
      completed in 10 to 15 minutes.
    - The course is non-technical, covering the key points without bogging
      down or overwhelming busy workers.
    

H1N1 in the Workplace was developed by Bluedrop Performance Learning with medical direction from Dr. Bill Bavington , a leading Canadian epidemiologist and Dr. Charlie Easmon , Medical Director of Number One Health in Great Britain. The course leverages the functionality of CoursePark, a new online Learning Management Network that uses the power of online communities to connect trainers, learners, businesses, and course providers.

The Johnson GEO CENTRE, a leading Canadian museum, was one of the very first to sign up for the new course. Executive Director Paul Dean noted that, "This course will give me peace of mind that our people are prepared. We can test, measure, and find whether or not each staff member or volunteer 'gets it,' or still needs more training."

Bluedrop's Rizkalla agrees that the value of the course is confirming companies are actually ready. "The big danger here is that companies just don't know if their people are ready. Yes everyone is sending their staff to Internet links, holding employee meetings and putting up posters. The question however is, are employees really learning? Do they actually know what to do? Our H1N1 course for employees sorts fact from fiction and tells them how to protect themselves. CoursePark then captures their answers to key questions to make sure they learned it. Managers can track everyone to see who has taken the course, who has the necessary knowledge, and who needs more training. Removing uncertainty can help stop the spread of H1N1, not to mention the spread of apathy, fear or ignorance."

Bluedrop Performance Learning is an award-winning company that has developed e-learning and training solutions for global leaders in business and government, including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Schering Plough, GE, General Dynamics, McGraw Hill, Prentice Hall, RBC, Manulife, the Public Health Agency of Canada , and both the Canadian and US Departments of Defense. Bluedrop has offices in St. John's , Halifax , Fredericton, Ottawa , Toronto , Calgary , and Washington, DC . More information is available at www.coursepark.com/h1n1.

For further information: For more information or to arrange an interview with Emad Rizkalla, please contact: Lorne PikeDirector, Corporate Solutions, CoursePark, [phone] ext 663, 800-563-3638 ext 663, [email protected]; For your advance screening only - NOT FOR PUBLICATION - the course can be viewed now at http://www.bluedrop.com/h1n1 Username: betauser Password: vaccine; The course's ACTUAL URL FOR PUBLICATION is: http://www.coursepark.com/h1n1