E-learning helps benefits program

Centra Software Inc., a provider of business software solutions for e-learning,

recently announced that New Hampshire has chosen its Web collaboration platform

to help the state's food stamp program save time while gaining information.

The company, along with New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human

Services, launched a program in early May aimed at streamlining the delivery

of live, interactive training and information to food stamp program employees.

"The New Hampshire Food Stamp Program has roughly 250 workers and office

supervisors statewide providing and overseeing eligibility determinations

for food stamp applicants," said Terry Smith, the food stamp program manager

for New Hampshire.

Smith added that remote training aimed to save workers time by offering

an interactive training environment that accurately mirrors a physical classroom.

According to Smith, remote training can be used for such things as:

* Supervisor meetings.

* Recorded training sessions.

* Automated system enhancement demonstrations.

* Policy unit reviews.

* Remote mentoring.

* Work group meetings.

* Director communications.

* Conference calls.

* Disaster communications.

The system's hardware and studio are located in Concord, N.H., Smith

said. Workers can access the system using a Web browser on the state's wide-area

network or the Internet.

Smith said that no plans are under way for other uses of the system;

however, other divisions in the state's health and human services department

are monitoring the food stamp program's remote training experience. "There

is a clear future in government for this kind of technology," he said.