Is free training really a bargain?

While free educational opportunities abound, experts warn of shallow offerings

By Paul McNamara
Network World, 08/06/01

There's boatload of free technical training out there for the asking. And in these days of shrinking IT budgets, the temptation to partake - some might say the necessity - can appear compelling.

But what would you be getting in the bargain? Are these freebies a good opportunity to improve your network expertise - or that of an underling - at a price that can't be beat? Or are they simply confirmation of the old clich� about getting what you pay for?

The consensus among IT professionals leans heavily toward the latter: skepticism, bordering on contempt. However, some say a savvy student can find gems among the freebies, especially if you know where to look.

First the doubters, though: "Good quality learning material costs a lot to produce, and I don't trust the cheap and/or free stuff," says David Byrkit, a self-employed computer consultant/trainer in Peoria, Ill., who recently left a job as a corporate e-mail administrator.

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"Anyone who thinks a half day or even full day of [free] training is going to expand their technical horizon is just looking for time away from their holding cell," adds Robert Haas, a system engineer at SBC Communications in Cleveland.

Those who still want to rummage through the freebie bin should be careful deciding where to invest their energies. "If you understand the underlying sales motive, and separate the hype from the basic overview content, then you can extract some value," says Walter Adams, a former senior manager at UUNET.

Scott Turton, a consultant and proprietor of the computer training Web site www.intelligentedu.com, says, "Some of the best free IT training opportunities on the Web are comparable to the paid training."

The one big difference is the opportunity to ask your questions and get them answered by a dedicated teacher or mentor. "You can ask your questions to many of the free technical help Web sites, but there is no guarantee you'll get the most correct answer, or even an answer that appropriately fits your questions," he says.

Not all free IT training is created equal. "There is a wide variation in the quality of what is available for free," says Turton, whose site averages 3,700 visitors per day. "As a rule of thumb, the more entrenched the company is into the Internet and Web, the better their offerings are for free training."

Some of the best bets are to be found among the household names such as 3Com, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel and Microsoft, he says, although you may have to comb through the sites to find good free material.

Turton also recommends a number of sites that specialize in IT training tutorials: Trainingtools.com, W3Schools.com, Wdvl.com, Learnthat.com, Barnes and Noble University.com and "Web Monkey".

Also, there are countless sites devoted to certification preparation, many of which offer free material, or at least free samples of test questions.

"Some of the best ones are ITTutor.com, MCSE Guide.com, MCMCSE.com, GoCertify.com, 2000exams.com and 2000trainers.com," Turton says. He also recommends single-topic sites that "specialize in specific areas, such as Oracle, Java, Visual Basic, HTML and XML. Many of these single-topic types of sites have surprisingly good content."

Whether they're good enough to raise the technical proficiency of your staff - or buff up your resume - may be another matter. "People do pass the certification exams just by studying the free material, but it is difficult," Turton cautions. "You really need a mentor - or at least ask questions to experts in the free forums - and be very self motivated."

"Observe how your employees use training of any kind," recommends Larry Horn, a former network manager who is between jobs in Jackson, Miss. "If they use it well, then even the throw-away freebies may be useful. If they don't use training well, don't waste the time, whether free or paid."

Some say there's simply no escaping the stigma associated with "free." "I've both attended and presented free training," says Dave Shaw, director of business development at T-Soft, a network management software vendor in Forest Hill, Md. "I'm not a big believer in the concept after those experiences."

"On the presenting side, I went through several years of trying to train resellers on the product I was supporting at the time," he says. "Free training was a disaster, primarily because those who signed up to attend - or were assigned to attend - very often failed to attend."

The problem reached such proportions that his company decided a strategy change was in order: the freebies were scrapped.

"Instead we'd quote a number like $1,000 per student and discount that considerably in most cases," he says. "Customer organizations would howl like we were asking them to donate a major organ. But registrations went up and we'd get an 80% attendance rate. The customer would receive value for the money spent."

Even those who speak more highly of free training warn of the importance to keep your expectations in check.

"The best of the freebies can be adequate if the student is self motivated, has some background already in the subject, or knows where he can ask questions and get answers," Turton concludes. "In general, though, it is better to pay for training - if you or your employer can afford it."