Online training speeds Ford's engineering education

With the purchase of a new online training system, Ford will educate all its engineers on the company's intranet.

Jointly developed by British Telecom and Futuremedia, the Solstra online training system will update and distribute training materials and job support information to 20,000 engineers from the Ford Design Institute, keeping track of training in progress and completed.

Ford's Education and Training Division in Northern Europe has been using the system since April to deliver the company's QS-9000/Q1 quality standard training course to employees and suppliers.

The Solstra system offers flexibility and support under strict time demands as Ford moves its engineering training to online delivery, according to Roscoe Nash Jr., Dean of the Ford Design Institute.

Solstra was launched nine months ago as a joint venture of BT and Futuremedia in the computer-based training market