For More Information:
Dawn Marie Yankeelov
ASPectx
502-292-2351
dawny@aspectx.com

Catalyst Learning’s School-At-Work System Upgrades With
New Features to Engage Students
Employers Embrace Career Development for Entry-Level Workers

May 31, 2006—The growth of Catalyst Learning Company’s School at Work (SAW), career development system continues its quarter to quarter increase, with a total of 218 healthcare employers enrolled in 33 states. “We continue to expand our outreach into hospitals across the nation that are willing to look at workforce development as a life cycle that begins with the entry level worker,” said Founder and CEO Lynn Fischer of Catalyst Learning. The School at Work career ladder system was developed by
Catalyst Learning in 1998.

In 2002, the U.S. Department of Labor funded a regional School at Work demonstration project for the healthcare industry . Phase 1 of the resulting “Building A Career Ladder in Healthcare” program served 366 participants at 28 hospitals in four states. Phase 2 began in 2003 and served 778 participants at 60 hospitals in 13 states. In 2005, although federal funding ended, SAW continued to grow as employers learned of its success and added the SAW career ladder system into their workplace. Through 218 healthcare employers in 33 states, 3,832 employees have enrolled in SAW instruction.

SAW has also invested in new online components, and a re-engineered, intuitive user interface. “We have been listening to our coaches within the hospitals and taken their feedback to enhance the user experience in our DVD and web training,” said Fischer, based in Louisville, Ky.

Students average about 2.5 hours a week in DVD or online training. System enhancements include:
* Ease of Readability online
* Standardized colors for key courses
* Gaming approach to learning, i.e. edutainment
* More Visuals, including Anatomy Graphics
* Dynamic Content
* Enhanced Keyboarding: “Words Per Minute” Tracking and Testing
* Answer reviews at the end of each activity

“Students now have access to advanced keyboarding activities that prepare them for college-level work and for higher-level clerical positions,” Fischer explained.

School at Work’s success at the individual hospital level has been witnessed and documented within HCA.  The School at Work initiative is now part of HCA Cares, a national scholarship program that provides employees with funds to support their career growth within healthcare and at HCA hospitals.  Over thirty HCA hospitals will add the School at Work to employee development efforts in 2006.

About School at Work
The SAW “Building a Career Ladder in Healthcare” program is for healthcare employers, especially hospitals, to educate, retain, and advance entry-level employees internally. The SAW integrated instructional model uses the Internet, computer labs, DVD technology, and mentoring through onsite coaches. Employers present SAW as an opportunity to build upon basic job skills, improve computer proficiency and study medical terminology, medical ethics, anatomy and physiology. Students also develop an individual career and learning plan, usually with the help of a hospital recruiter. For more information, go to www.schoolatwork.com.

About Catalyst Learning
Louisville-based Catalyst Learning Company provides innovative workforce development models delivered at the worksite for adults in support level positions. Catalyst Learning’s principal product is School at Work ® (SAW), a career development system. The School at Work vision is to dramatically expand access to education for adults employed in support-level jobs. This vision is being achieved by working closely with employers to help them realize a return-on-investment and by using technology to deliver education. Education delivery is done in a blended learning approach which embraces the use of technology for instruction and classroom activity, as mentoring as key components. Catalyst Learning was founded in 1992 and is a female-owned small business.
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