e-learning in European SMEs

99,8% of European enterprises are small and medium-sized (SMEs) with less than 250 employees. They include your favourite baker and bookshop, the thousands of suppliers for the well-known brands as well as the advertising agency operating in a big modern loft in one of Europe's metropolitan areas. Most of these SMEs make use of IT since years. With the challenge of the knowledge economy it seems only reasonable to assume that they use their IT-infrastructure as a medium for learning as well, as it is done by most of the big companies. However, against all expectation e-learning providers have difficulties to win clients among SMEs.

The ARIEL-project, supported within the e-learning initiative of the European Commission, investigated supply and demand factors on the e-learning market for small and medium-sized enterprises and described future trends with the scenario method. The proceedings of the ARIEL final conference in November 2005 give a comprehensive overview of the research results. Outstanding guest authors complement with new concepts for possible market trends. The proceedings are a real added value for all experts in the field of further vocational education especially for SMEs.