The opportunities for online education and training

learning via the Internet has arrived. From web-based or online courses offered by colleges and universities to "learning webs" in the workplace, education and training delivered via the Internet has become a viable alternative for Canadian lifelong learners. The TeleEducationNB database lists over 12 000 online courses as well as entire degree programs offered by organizations from around the world.(1) Companies are expanding their use of training using technology with the North America electronic learning market expected to grow from US$178 million in 1997 to US$1.8 billion by 2001.(2) The timing could not be better. Adult learners are under great pressure to develop their skills and, at a number of points in their career, are obliged to completely re-engineer themselves far a new position, often in a new industry. It is estimated that in the near future, "Information Age" workers will have to invest at least 20% of their time in education and training. To meet this demand by the Year 2010, a new campus would have to be built every eight days in the US alone.(3) There are many opportunities in web-based education and training available to employees and organizations in the mining industry. Canadians have the advantage of being in a country that hosts many of the world's innovators in online learning and is one of the first countries to establish a national research program in this area. The TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence has been in operation since 1995 and some of the results of its research and field-testing program are reported in this article.