Census joins e-training initiative through GeoLearning-built portal

GeoLearning Inc. will supply the Census Bureau with a learning management and e-learning delivery platform as part of federal e-government initiatives, the company announced Monday.

Census picked GeoLearning's GeoMaestro learning management system to manage e-learning for 4,000 employees across the agency.

The Census e-learning program is part of the federal government's Gov Online Learning Center e-training initiative, www.golearn.gov. The initiative provides one-stop access to e-training services for more than 1.8 million federal employees.

GeoLearning hosts and services golearn.gov under a four-year contract with the Office of Personnel Management. The contract is worth up to $10 million. The West Des Moines, Iowa, company will implement the Census learning management system under the same contract, according to spokesman Will Hipwell.

The Census Bureau will gain a portal linking the agency to golearn.gov, Hipwell said.

"Any government employee can access golearn.gov, but this is the first time Census has its own portal into the [governmentwide] initiative," Hipwell said. "[Census will] have a customized portal that allows [them] to pick and choose courses and services to offer that might not be available at other agencies. They are getting economies of scale [by using GeoMaestro] and also customizing their portal to meet the needs of their agency."

GeoMaestro offers registration, tracking and reporting of training. These capabilities are essential for efficient delivery and management of training, according to the company. The system also complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires all federal agencies to implement information technology accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Gov Online Learning Center initiative is an effort by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to unify e-training across the federal government.