E-learning site launches early

The Office of Personnel Management last week put online its e-training site, almost three months ahead of schedule. The site, at , gives federal employees free access to more than 30 courses and 50 electronic books.OPM is the managing partner of the e-training project, and its first milestone - launching the site was due Oct. 15, according to the Office of Management and Budget’s e-government strategy. The departments of Defense, Labor, Transportation and Treasury, and the General Services Administration also are partners in the site.“The government online learning center is an essential tool for fulfilling government employee learning needs,” said Mark Forman, OMB’s associate director for IT and e-government. “The virtual resource delivers the tools for federal employees to improve their knowledge and professional skills.”By November, OPM plans to add more courses to the catalog. Some will be free, but users will be required to pay for others.