Element K eyes Middle East as a high-potential market for delivering its world renowned online courses

Element K, which is already active in Saudi Arabia and the UAE offering online courses in desktop computing, information technology and business and professional development, foresees a dramatic increase in demand for virtual courses in the region, driven by a robust growth in IT penetration and booming economies.

"Businesses in the region have either migrated to online development or are in the process of doing so. In such a scenario there is a paramount need for employees to upgrade their skills. E-Learning provides the ideal solution, because class-room learning is no longer convenient to working people," said Jamil Ezzo, General Manager, Element K Middle East. "All over the world, e-learning is bringing to the people's doorsteps opportunities for acquiring knowledge without stepping out of the home or office environment. Element K has been a global pioneer and innovator in e-Learning and we are bringing our leading edge techniques to the whole of the Middle East."

Element K has a twenty year history in developing solutions for adult learning. In 1996, it launched the first online course and has since become known for its seamless integrated products, unparalleled customer service and support. It has grown to be a leader in delivering online learning to communities and businesses worldwide.

Element K Middle East has been established with the objective of taking Element K's world-class courses to the entire region. In Saudi Arabia, Element K is running a highly reputed and successful e-Learning initiative in collaboration with the General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training.

"We are talking to a host of government and ISPs in the Middle East to boost IT literacy through our online courses," said Ezzo. "There is a great deal of interest at the community and corporate levels, because like in the rest of the world, e-Learning is a top priority area for many professionals in the Middle East. Government employees, like their counterparts, also want to upgrade their skills on a continuous basis and online courses help them achieve their objectives without visiting a classroom."

Element K has built global partnerships with leading IT vendors and renowned academic institutions to develop courses customized to meet the requirements of different government and communities.

"In the Middle East, we are geared to integrate our courseware expertise and learning engines with local requirements to create tailored solutions for Arab learners," said Ezzo. "Our model of e-learning effectively combines online resources with direct communication with instructors either through chatroom or message boards. While students do not visit a classroom, they still feel the presence of expert teachers, thanks to the power of the Internet, the resources available and the download in timely fashion."

Element K prides itself on its unique learning methods that have helped over 4 million people worldwide to update their knowledge or upgrade their skills through courses developed by the world's biggest experts in the respective fields. Its knowledge hub is the Learning Management System, a comprehensive fully hosted system that handles course management, student management, assessment and reporting tools. The system is fully scaleable, whether handling 100 students or 10,000 students.