KaplanCollege.com's Computing/Information Technology Program -- Not Just for IT Professionals

Enrollment Percentages Indicate Increased Demand for Computing/IT Training for Non-IT Professionals

New York (July 25, 2000) – Just three months after its launch in April 2000, KaplanCollege.com's Program in Computing/Information Technology is quickly becoming one of the company's most popular programs. Interestingly, 68% of the students enrolled are not IT professionals, but rather professionals from other career backgrounds such as nursing, education, and real estate, underscoring the tremendous demand for computing and IT training in today's marketplace for all disciplines.

"It has been estimated that 50% of employees' skills become outdated within 3 to 5 years. As technology continues to advance, it is vital for professionals to maintain and improve their technical skills," said Bill Rosenthal, President of KaplanCollege.com. "Working professionals often find it difficult to learn new skills, simply because of time pressures, family responsibilities, or geographic limitations. KaplanCollege.com's comprehensive self-study courses in computing/information technology are a wonderful tool for professionals in all fields - teachers, real estate agents, nurses, legal professionals, and naturally those in the IT industry -- to use to advance their careers."

"For example, as a member of the education community, and as Dean of the Education program at KaplanCollege.com, I have observed a dramatic increase in the number of teachers seeking IT courses to upgrade their technical skills in order to better serve their students," said Marti Garlett. "It is critical to the success of the classroom that teachers stay educated and up to date on the latest systems so that they may introduce their students to efficient ways of using technology for their research, homework, or creative projects. K-12 teachers can benefit greatly from taking KaplanCollege.com courses such as PowerPoint: Introduction, Excel 2000: Level 1, and Internet Explorer 4.0 Introduction which teach practical skills that teachers can immediately put to use in their classrooms."

KaplanCollege.com's Computing/IT program, one of nine professional schools and programs offered on the site, features courses that are appropriate for students of all levels -- from basic computer users to Information Technology professionals. To date, the most popular courses in the program are Internet related.

Through self-paced online classes licensed from Element K [formerly ZD Education], a leading provider of IT self-study courses, students can easily access courses at their convenience, from any location, via the Web.

Working professionals visiting KaplanCollege.com can also access practice tests for IT certification exams, as provided by Self Test Software (a Kaplan Professional Company), as well as a library of thousands of additional technology training options CD-ROMs, videos, audio tapes, and books provided through a partnership with THINQ, formerly TrainingNet.

About KaplanCollege.com
Launched in April 2000, KaplanCollege.com is a leading provider of online education for working professionals who want to advance their careers. Learners at KaplanCollege.com can find nearly 500 online professional development and continuing education courses, as well as certification and degree programs. Courses are available in Nursing, Education, Criminal Justice, Real Estate, Legal Professions, Management, General Business and Computing/Information Technology. KaplanCollege.com also includes Concord University School of Law, the nation's first online law school, and already the nation's second largest part-time law school. To date, more than 4,000 students have enrolled in KaplanCollege.com courses, and more than 500 students are enrolled in Concord Law School. KaplanCollege.com is a division of Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com), a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses, and a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, (NYSE:WPO).
Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965

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