Yes, I went full time work and school. I did the online program at Colorado Technical University and it took 3 years to complete. I choose them because of the crediting; I checked them out with the U.S. Department of Education. Yes, it was a lot of work but well worth it for making my advance in my career it seems you must have a least a bachelors degree now. Thank you for your reply.
Rick

I agree with Sami. I too have taken the SkillPath seminar, what a waste of time and money.

Yes I have attended a SkillPath seminar for Admin Assts along with 13 others from the company I work with. It was a one day seminar and everyone of us found the day to be beneficial. Go for it.

I have been to about six SkillPath seminars and they were excellent! The speakers knew their material and were very informative. The last one had us in stiches. It was about the various types of people we have to work with: bullies, snypers, cryers, etc. Yes, I believe in having fun during serious workshops. What most people forget is that the material given at a seminar needs to be used, implemented, worked with to become useful. Yes, they do try to sell books and CDs but it didn't diminish the actual seminar. Also, SkillPath will reimburse you your money if you are not satisfied. So, give it a try.

Our company uses SkillPath seminars for just about all of the seminars that they send employees to. I have been to several over the years (none recently though) and I have enjoyed them for the most part. As with any seminar, all of the information given might not pertain to your situation, but if you can even get three or four good, useful tips, then it was worth it. Their format is good and I don't usually get bored at them. Heads-up though: At the beginning of most, they try to talk you into purchasing books and other materials that they have on hand and that pertain to the seminar topics. Be prepared for that (either by being ready to say no or by having the funds to do so if you do decide to buy). They aren't overly pushy about it and some of the material is worth it. (They have a 30 or 60 day return policy, so once I ended up buying a set of books there, took them home, looked over them, and returned them within the time limit. I didn't have any problem getting my money refunded.) Talk to your manager ahead of time and he/she may agree to reimburse you for any products you do buy/keep. Overall, I've always been pleased with the SkillPath seminars I've attended. I usually come away with several good tips and it's a nice day away from the office and being around other people who deal with the same types of situations you are day in and day out.

I went to one Skillpath seminar when I was new to the Admin profession. I was so excited that I was going to be able to learn how to perform in this new position but came away with almost nothing...unless you could the $75 credit card bill after I got suckered into buy so many books! Every little tip given could be tied to one of the many books they had for sale. It's light on info and hard on "sell". I haven't been to one since.

I have been to several Skillpath seminars and they are interesting, fun and exhilerating. Sure, they have lots of information and publications on hand to sell to you but they take the time to read and work with these books so I respect their recommendations. I think they tend to cover a lot of information in a short time frame, but they always encourage you to use different materials if you need further information on a subject. They are great for interim training or just refreshing yourself by relating to what's going on in our profession. We all need to share, learn and network with others that are doing what we are doing 40 hours a week. I recommend them. The best 3-day course that I highly recommend is PA Douglas Annual Professional Assistants Seminar. It's in about 6 different locations every year and I think it's more for the seasoned administrative professional, but check out their web site for more information.

I, and others here, have about a 50/50 record with them. Some of their sessions are very good and well worth the money, some are a waste of time and money. You never really know which way it will go until you are there.

I took a Skillpath seminar and thought it was good, but one I would recommend is from Management Association called "HR in a Nutshell" - it was fabulous. It was three days and filled with useful information.

I have attended several of their seminars in the course of nine years and have always found them very informative, except for one time. However, I would recommend that you also look up National Seminars. I've attended many of their seminars and my experience with them has been great. In addition, if you sign-up for their online newsletter, you will never have to pay full price for their seminars since they send you discounts often (I've attended most of their seminars at 35% off, and on several occasions, at half the price). Now, if what you're looking for are seminars focused specifically on HR, then I would highly recommend that you become a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (for less than $200/yr) instead. I've been a SHRM member for a few years now, and the benefits are so much better compared to a two-day HR seminar. Some of the benefits are: free webcasts on the 6 HR disciplines, monthly HR Magazine, weekly online newsletter, HR support, etc. Becoming a member of your local SHRM Chapter is also very helpful.

I don't recommend them at all. At our company, we're not even allowed to attend this type of one-day seminar (from vendors like Skillpath, Fred Pryor, Careertrack, etc.). Our Human Resources and Training Department has evaluated them and found that they have very little value.

I did attend one of these seminars once, prior to working for my current employer, but asked for a refund of my seminar fee, because I didn't learn a single thing. They didn't even cover half of the items that were outlined in their brochure - it was very frustrating. The information they present is very general. I wish I had been able to ask for a refund of my time, as well as my money!

If you have 17 years of experience this would not be of benefit to you. I would suggest registering for classes at your local college instead. However, semniar courses are great if you are looking to review or to get away, just be prepared for the plug of books and DVD's but I have found the books etc are great and have been a benefit to me and the agency I work under. I recently attended a two day from National Seminar and it was a good refresher course. I have also been to some that I have asked for my money back and they did give me a refund.

I have taken 3 of their seminars over the past 7 years. I find their seminars pretty decent and well organized. They give general information and perspective to the topic and it is not overly imposing with role playing etc. When I leave a seminar from them, I feel I knew somethings already, learned a few more things but I always leave feeling more motivated towards the topic than if I had not gone at all. But do go with another, seminars are better in numbers or they become boring.

I've gone to Fred Pryor CareerTrack seminars and Franklin Covey. Both companies offer very good seminars. I've come out of each seminar with very useful tools for the workplace and in my private life. I definitely recommend trying out a seminar even if you only come out with one new tool to make your work and life easier. Franklin Covey is a bit expensive. Fred Pryor is much more affordable. If your company will reimburse you that's even better. Invest in yourself - you're worth it!

I have taken several Skillpath seminars and definetly find them helpful. They are always mroe beneficial when you have a good speaker. I have only had one boresome speaker out of 8 seminars, so I would definetly give it a shot.

I went to a 2-day Beginner and Intermediate Excel class (I didn't need the beginner but thought I better start from the beginning so I wouldn't get lost) and I really enjoyed the class & learned a lot. Our teacher was great. I didn't cave in and buy anything except the Excel Bible, which I use all the time. I am taking a Microsoft Project class on Monday/Tuesday & just found out 3-4 people will be sharing a computer, which doesn't really work for me, but I am going to give the first day a try and see how it goes. Overall, I would recommend them but I agree that they really do try to push books & extra stuff on you!

Training must encompass several areas to be effective for the learner. The training must engage the audience and the training must focus on the learner. It should have clear training objectives and those objectives should be covered in training.

In the case of technology classes such as Microsoft Office among other software programs, hands-on training is critical to learning and retaining the information.

When looking for a training provider look for those that offer hands-on training. Ask if the training will include a computer for each person? Also, inquire if the trainining can be delivered at your facility complete with the laptops and workbooks for each person in attendance. Ask if group rates are available.

Another good source for training is to take an instructor-led, hands-on Webinar workshop. This is a great cost-effective and convenient way to obtain hands-on training. It can be conducted from the convenience of your own desk where you can log in to a live online training session with a live instructor. However, not all training is created equal so see if you can "test drive" the training before making an investment.

When you are looking on for a training provider also ask if they offer any free sessions that you could attend and evaluate the quality of the training. For example, do they have any upcoming free hands-on, instructor-led Webinars coming up that you could attend.

Training is an investment in time and money and you certainly want to leave a training session with knowledge that you can immediately apply and know that your time and money has been worth it.

Do your homework when searching for a training provider.

Skillpath is probably one of the worst seminars I have ever attended. If you are looking for a good seminar, the American Management Association has excellent choices, and the classes are always very good. They are more expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for.

My feet itch, and so do my balls. Anyone have some topical cream?

I went to a Skillpath seminar for Administrative Assistants and really enjoyed it. The speakers were excellent. However, the first hour is pretty much one long sales pitch for all their books, and after you attend, your e-mail will be inundated on almost a daily basis with info on all their seminars. I enjoyed the one I went to, but I'm using my delete key a lot!

I attended a seminar presented by Skillpath and it was a fine waste of a Friday.