SkillScan is used by recruiters and hiring managers to screen Java candidates and staff teams with the right combination of skills.  In less than two hours, SkillScan provides a comprehensive and conclusive report of candidate skills in Java programming, sub-topics in Java, and related technologies.

SkillScan speeds and improves the recruiting process in a variety of ways, including:

-- managers and recruiters screen and hire top talent far faster

-- developers spend less time interviewing on basic skills and more time on deeper skills

-- removes “stack of resumes” bottlenecks

-- HR managers have a reliable tool to quickly assess candidates from recruiters, and

-- with early screening, companies cut travel and recruiting costs

JavaBlackBelt CEO Nicolas Meeus said, “SkillScan is practical technology born out of the JavaBlackBelt community and is particularly useful for these times.  A recent survey by Robert Half International showed that the number one challenge in hiring is ‘too many unqualified applicants’ followed by ‘too many resumes’.”  He adds, “ As the economy recovers and managers begin filling technology positions, SkillScan can add competitive advantage to the recruiting process.”

SkillScan uses a series of self-assessment questions to establish skill levels in selected topics, then validates these levels with a series of weighted, rapid-fire, multiple-choice technology questions – a unique combination that produces a timely, conclusive report.  Questions are derived from many years of recruiting Java developers and mass-collaboration by the JavaBlackbelt community.  Test topics are configurable based on job requirements, including skills in Ant, Hibernate, Servlet, OO, Spring, and XML.  As SkillScan is an online tool, candidates can be evaluated anywhere and anytime during the recruiting process.

Consulting companies also use SkillScan to screen internal candidates when staffing projects and to verify skills before relocation.  Meeus explains, “We’ve had a major client with a startup operation in India quickly shortlist 200 internal candidates down to 20 using SkillScan.  Another client assessed their entire set of Indian Java developers before selecting a core team to relocate to Belgium on a key project.  And a third global client regularly attaches SkillScan reports to their project proposal bids.”

SkillScan is priced at €95 per test with volume discounts available.  To receive a free trial version, order SkillScan, or talk to an expert, call +32 498 84 69 91 (Europe), +1 617 418 4450 (US), or +91-11-43086342 (India), or email info@javablackbelt.com.  More information is available at the SkillScan Website.

Coached eLearning combines Java coaching and eLearning to deliver the fastest and most cost-effective way to gain Java skills. In a recent survey of members of the JavaBlackBelt community, developers selected Coached eLearning as the #1 choice for Java learning compared with instructor-led classroom training and self-paced eLearning.

Highlights of that survey include:

• When asked which learning method was preferred by developers and managers, respondents selected Coached eLearning over self-paced eLearning and instructor-led classroom training by 4:3 and 4:1 margins respectively.
• The top reasons for preferring Coached eLearning over instructor-led classroom training were: “It does not require travel”, “It fits into my schedule”, “It’s more affordable”, and “I can proceed at my own pace” -- selected by about 70, 70, 60, and 50 percent of the group, respectively, with this preference.
• The top reasons for preferring Coached eLearning over self-paced eLearning were: “I would retain the learning better”, “An instructor would help me overcome learning obstacles”, “I would prefer the schedule and rigor provided by an instructor” -- selected by about 60, 60, and 50 percent of this group, respectively.

In Coached eLearning courses, the coach remotely meets with the student to begin each course, reviews the course plan and materials, and agrees to a schedule. The student then learns at their own pace from the JavaBlackBelt eLearning platform -- online materials and videos, community forums, exercises, and exams. Along the way, the coach checks intermediate goals, answers questions, helps overcome obstacles, and oversees progress. The course is completed when the student passes the final exam, which, depending on the student’s schedule and pace of learning, follows one to two weeks of coursework.

Java & OO Fundamentals is the entry point for learning Java and covers all content and skills in Java SE and OO that Java developers must master to thrive in a typical professional project. The course requires that the student be a computer programmer but no OO knowledge or experience is assumed. Topics include Java Environment, Language Basics, Objects and Classes, Associations, Exceptions, Standard Libraries, Polymorphisms, and Collections. Also, the course prepares the student for all other Java Coached eLearning courses, including JPA/Hibernate, Spring and Java Advanced.

The Java Advanced Course is the ideal follow-up to Java & OO Fundamentals. It begins with skills that experienced Java developers must possess for success in their projects, then elevates the student to SCJP-level performance. Prior to enrolling in this course, students must pass the Java & OO Fundamentals learn exam, available at www.javaBlackBelt.com at no charge. Course topics include Syntax, Classloading, Annotations, Generics, Lifecycles, Overloading, Inner classes, Enums, and Exceptions.

Complete information, descriptions, and immediate enrollment for these new and all Coached eLearning courses is available at www.javablackbelt.com/coachedelearning.  For the full results of the survey, click here.

Other eLearning Courses open for enrollment or pre-registration include Spring Fundamentals (course and workshop), JPA/Hibernate Fundamentals (course and workshop), Java 5 New Language Features, Java SE Basic, Java SE Core Intermediate, Java SE Collections, Java SE Concurrency High Level, Servlet & JSP Fundamentals, Servlet & JSP Advanced, Struts 2 Basic, Seam Basic, jQuery Basic, and Swing Basic.

Tuition per course is $395 (US), €295 (Europe), and Rs 19,200 (India).

JavaBlackBelt just announced its “Coached e‐Learning” for Java developers.

In a developer survey to be released next week, this Coached e‐Learning was selected as the #1 choice for Java learning compared with classroom training and self‐paced e‐Learning.

Here’s how it works:

1. In these courses, the coach meets with the student to begin each course, reviews the course plan and materials, and agrees to a schedule.

2. The student then learns at their own pace from the JavaBlackBelt eLearning platform ‐‐ online materials and videos, community forums, exercises, and exams.

3. Along the way, the coach checks intermediate goals, answers questions, helps overcome obstacles, and oversees progress.

4. The course is completed when the student passes the final exam, which, depending on the student’s schedule and pace of learning, follows one to two weeks of coursework.

The company says that the courses offer an optimal blend of learning methods:

‐‐ the affordability and schedule flexibility of self study,

‐‐ the retention of exercises,

‐‐ the engagement of community learning,

‐‐ the measurement of exams, and

‐‐ the experience and guidance of instructors.

Coached e‐Learning courses are available across Europe, US, and India in: Spring Fundamentals, Spring Workshop, JPA/Hibernate Fundamentals, JPA/Hibernate Workshop, and Java for Managers (with more to come). Tuition per course is $395 (US/India) and €295 (Europe).

Read the full press release or register at www.javablackbelt.com/coachedelearning.

Please consider taking a 5 minute survey and you will receive 10 contribution points towards JavaBlackBelt certification exams. Goto www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=SaH59Fy0TxcZykQKMN_2ftZA_3d_3d.

Thanks for your time and we look forward to sharing the results with you.

I've worked with JBB founder John Rizzo and we've developed a 6-step "installation plan" for Java skills management. Those steps and highlights are below my salutation.

If you’d like to discuss/start this process, feel free to say so at: globalforcedirect.com/discovery-sessions/.

Best, Tony

--------------------------------------------------------------

Step 1. Discovery

No-charge JBB consultations on installing Java skills management into the organization. JBB explains possibilities, explore priorities, establishes extent/timeline. Managers describe organizational make-up, skills champions, existing training methods, employee review/reporting needs. Developers describe missions, key technologies.

Step 2. Startup

Installation of JBB Enterprise Edition (skills assessment) platform. Create company and developer's accounts. Communicate plan to developers with open Q/A and feedback. Perhaps the efforts focuses on a group or project.

Step 3. Calibrate

Measure skill level of each developer on key technologies. Set individual and organizational goals. Developers take Learn Exams.

Step 4. GAP

Identify skills gaps, create learning/staffing plans. Managers meet each developer. Agree on present skills versus goals. Define exams to be succeeded within the next period and learning plan.

Step 5. Learn

Developers learn and take exams. Typically, blended learning: instructor-led, eLearning, books,... Managers view progress via online reports.

Step 6. Evaluate/Adjust

JBB reviews program and presents to management. Did we achieve skills goals? Was the program successful? Loop to 3. Expand program to larger group, more projects, integrate with LMS, make continuous, ...

The goal? To allow developers and managers to assess skills and improve skills decisions at critical points in their development process, including at hiring, staffing, training, appraisals, and organizational planning -- resulting in consistently higher productivity and job satisfaction.

Best, Tony

PS: as it says, more is available at: globalforcedirect.com/javablackbelt-member-survey.

JavaBlackBelt Releases Results of
Java Skills Management Survey

Membership Associates 25% Productivity Increase with Commitment to Skills Management,
Gives JavaBlackBelt a 90% Satisfaction Rating

Brussels, Belgium, February 12, 2009 – JavaBlackBelt, a leader in Java skills management and now powered by over 50,000 developers in its community, today announced the results of its first membership survey on Java skills management and feedback on the JavaBlackBelt service.

The top findings were: over 75% of developers said Java skills assessment is important to their project success, developers estimated that their Java teams would be 25% more productive if management committed to skills management, the JavaBlackBelt service received a 90% membership satisfaction rating, and a strong majority of respondents agreed that JavaBlackBelt was their best tool for skills assessment with the advantages of online availability and more comprehensive, up-to-date questions.

John Rizzo, founder of JavaBlackBelt, comments, “First, I’m very thankful to the participants for taking the time and care to offer this feedback. Next, any attention that comes to JavaBlackBelt from these numbers should be shared with our membership – they are the heart of our model. Lastly, I do see the 25% productivity gain from improved skills management as a compelling, realizeable, and shared opportunity for the industry, and I will continue to dedicate myself and our company to help achieve it.”

The JavaBlackBelt skills management service is crowd-sourced and moderated. From its web 2.0-based site, developers take online assessments and managers access performance reports and learning path tools. The survey was emailed to a sampling of JavaBlackBelt members in January, 2009 and included over 400 verified respondents, who each completed the entire survey.

The full list of responses:

-- Over 75% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Java skills assessment is important to the success of their projects.

-- As to why skills assessment was important, the top answer was productivity – labeled an important benefit by 85% of respondents, followed by targeted training with 80% of respondents, hiring the right talent with 70%, career development and proper staffing tied with 65%, and more clarity in performance reviews with 60%.

-- On the quantitative impact on productivity, respondents said that the productivity of their team would increase by an average of 25% if their management committed to skills management.

-- Regarding JavaBlackBelt, about 90% agreed or strongly agreed that JavaBlackBelt’s service is a useful skills assessment tool and that they are satisfied with the service.

-- Nearly 60% or more agreed or strongly agreed that the JavaBlackBelt service was the best Java skills assessment tool available to them (while only 7% disagreed), that their organization would be more productive if more of their developers used JavaBlackBelt, and that their management should know more about JavaBlackBelt.

-- The advantages of JavaBlackBelt over alternatives for skills assessments were led by online availability – selected by over 90% of respondents; lower-cost, more up-to-date questions, more comprehensive questions, and more a engaging service tied with about 80% or more each; and higher-quality questions and more frequent assessments each had 65%.

-- Conversely, the advantages of alternative methods of skills assessments over JavaBlackBelt was led by greater industry recognition at 80% and better management acceptance at 60%. Less than 30% felt that alternatives had the advantage of higher quality or more comprehensive questions.

The full questions and results of the survey are available at www.globalforcedirect.com/javablackbelt-member-survey and www.javablackbelt.com. Interested managers can sign-up for a Discovery Session with JavaBlackBelt experts on how to best implement Java skills management in their organization. Visitors can also suggest topics and questions for the next JavaBlackBelt survey, which will seek views on which Java skills are the most valuable in today’s job market.

###

I just read a very interesting blog (THE CADSMART BLOG) that discusses the benefits of training your workforce in a depressed economy. The author takes a perspective from the CAD industry but the discussion is 100% applicable to Java skills. The salient points from the author’s discussion are:

- Train intensively in tough times... and less so in good times:

Learning and Skills Council cites that, “Organizations that make the right investment in training and development will be in a much better place when we come out of the recession...The last thing you should do is cut your training; now is not the time to lose employees to competition." See this article by Leon Noone for further discussion.

- Growing internal skill is far more cost effective than recruiting talent externally:

In a recent survey conducted by Dr Emma Parry, Cranfield School of Management, more than three quarters (78%) of respondents felt that it was more beneficial to their organization to develop employees internally rather than to recruit externally.

The author concludes that organizations generally fall into either of two camps when managing the skills of its workforce in a down economy:

Ones that understand these principles and have a rolling, continuous improvement environment for their teams, including regular assessment, targeted training, buddying and mentoring schemes - and a clear path from basic skills through to advanced for projects, and;

those that take a knee-jerk approach and cut skills assessment from their priority list, along with training and development programs. These same firms, when it comes to the unfortunate position of letting people go, have no real clue who their best - most productive - people are! They slice 5%, 10%, 20% from their payrolls - losing super-achievers alongside inefficient ones - without thought for the medium-term consequences!

Certainly these are challenging economic times that arguably demand a more prudent approach to planning than is required in good times. In which camp does your organization fall? Or maybe you have another approach?

One thing that is emerging from this economy is a sense that we all need to work together and share our ideas...your thoughts and comment please!

Douglas

Next week, I will post the results of an internal JBB survey on Java skills management. I am also opening a market survey on Java skills management.

My question for you: what do you want to know about the market's opinions/plans for Java skills management?

EG:

 -- what are the key benefits to Java skills management?

 -- what are the top tools and methods to effective Java skills management?

 -- what are the top categories of skills?

 -- how important is skills management to productivity?

 -- what are the big mistakes to avoid?

 -- how often should skills be measured and how?

 -- ...

Eager to hear from YOU and thank you, in advance, for the input!

As JBB already has 50K members in the EU, I believe that US/Indian organizations will quickly find value in their web 2.0-based and quite revolutionary products.  For sure, their skills content is the most comprehensive that we've found on the market and the subscription price, at $250 per developer, ushers in a new era of what I call "continuous skills management".

Full press release available here.