BDO, Netcampus launch innovative e-learning product offering

Innovative e-learning products bring the classroom into the business environment.

BDO South Africa, a leading provider of taxation consulting and advice, and Netcampus, a subsidiary of ATIO and South Africa's leading blended learning provider, are proud to announce they now offer Value-Added Tax (VAT) e-learning solutions, specifically designed to provide corporates with a cost-effective alternative to sending their VAT-specialist staff on outside training courses.

“Using Netcampus' pioneering collaborative learning model, combined with the technical expertise and support of BDO in the area of VAT, means we can offer a best-of-breed solution for taking careers in VAT to the next level,” says Christo Theron, the head of VAT Services at BDO. “This product now brings the classroom into the business environment, and aims to empower the resources within a company to execute their functions within the overall VAT function,” continues Theron.

BDO and Netcampus will initially offer four different modules that are perfectly aligned to the career development path for VAT specialists. The training content that will be offered through the e-learning platform has been used successfully at universities and corporate training events.

“By using the online learning platform, users will be able to register and access their courseware anytime and from anywhere, unleashing the world of accredited and reputable content,” adds Dawn Hollingworth, Managing Director of Netcampus.

“E-learning platforms offer corporates considerable benefits,” says Theron. “It allows course participants to learn at their own pace, and within their own time constraints - this helps corporates overcome any logistical difficulties associated with arranging training for large groups of people. The back-end to the program also monitors all training activities, and can provide corporate training officers with automatic updates of the status of each course participant. It is also our intention through e-learning to create a 'VAT Community' within South Africa - learners will have access to mentors who will assist with any difficulties they are experiencing or questions they may have,” concludes Theron.

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BDO

BDO is a leading mid-tier audit, accounting and advisory firm in South Africa. Operating from four offices around the country, it offers a range of diverse service offerings covering audit, accounting and business advice. Its tax service offering includes indirect taxes (VAT, customs and excise, etc), corporate tax, individual's tax, capital gains tax and transfer pricing. BDO was recently awarded the 'International Tax Adviser of the Year' award at the inaugural International Accounting Bulleting (IAB) Awards.

Service provision within the international BDO network of independent member firms (“the BDO network”) is co-ordinated by Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA, a limited liability company incorporated in Belgium with its statutory seat in Brussels. Each of BDO International (the governing entity of the BDO network), Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA and the member firms is a separate legal entity and has no liability for another such entity's acts or omissions. Nothing in the arrangements or rules of the BDO network shall constitute or imply an agency relationship or a partnership between BDO International, Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA and/or the member firms of the BDO network.

BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO member firms. The combined fee income of all the BDO Member Firms, including the members of their exclusive alliances, was $5.67 billion in 2011. The global network provides advisory services in 135 countries, with almost 48 800 people working out of 1 118 offices worldwide.

Netcampus

Netcampus has been delivering innovative learning solutions since 1998 and has achieved many industry awards. The most prestigious of these has been two worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year awards, with the most recent award in 2009 for Microsoft's Innovation Partner of the Year. Netcampus was chosen from 4 500 international contenders. Netcampus makes use of a Blended Learning approach, which utilises multiple training methods, namely: classroom training, e-learning, computer-based training and testing, collaborative learning, mobile learning and live training.

Netcampus has three distinct learning platforms on offer: The Netcampus Retail Learning Platform, Corporate Learning Platform and Enterprise Learning Platform. The majority of Netcampus customers select the Enterprise Learning Platform (ELP) to deploy their custom-owned courses for internal use. One of the unique features of the system is the capability to support any form of media on the platform.

Netcampus offers a full Learner Management System (LMS), which is supported by a software application solution for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content. The Netcampus LMS also includes a powerful performance management system which encompasses employee appraisals, PDPs, competency management, skills-gap analysis, succession planning, and multi-rater assessments.

Russell Fox
Director: Marketing & Business Development
(011) 488 1978
rfox@bdo.co.za

Editorial contacts

Teresa Ekland
teresaj@atio.co.za
Christo Theron
Netcampus
(012) 433 0230
ctheron@bdo.co.za