SkillSoft Helps UST Global Arm Employees with a Wide Range of IT, Desktop and Business Skills Needed to Excel on the Job

IT Services and BPO Solutions Provider Relies on SkillSoft to Deliver e- Learning and Performance Support that is Aligned with its Core Competencies and Business Objectives

NASHUA, N.H., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL), a leading provider of e-learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small- to medium- sized businesses, today announced that UST Global is leveraging SkillSoft's multi-modal learning solution, SkillChoice, to provide its employees with a wide range of IT, desktop and business skills to excel on the job. With more than 10,000 training hours logged in the first fifteen months, the SkillSoft deployment has exceeded initial project goals, and UST Global anticipates additional benefits as workers at client sites increasingly turn to Books24x7 from SkillSoft for just-in-time learning and performance support.

UST Global is a leading provider of end-to-end IT services and BPO solutions for Global 2000 companies. The company's success and client satisfaction can be traced to the industry-leading expertise found within its Centers of Excellence, which focus on specific disciplines, such as Microsoft .NET, Java, testing and quality control. The Centers of Excellence help employees improve competencies in current technologies and develop a knowledge foundation for the latest technology trends and methodologies. Historically, instructor-led training (ILT) was the primary method for developing these technical competencies as well as general business skills. However, with employees dispersed around the world, a pure ILT model was cost prohibitive and couldn't scale to effectively support the company's rapid growth.

In light of these challenges, UST Global deployed SkillChoice, SkillSoft's comprehensive multi-modal learning solution that combines courseware, books, online mentoring and many other information resources. SkillSoft's IT curriculum has been mapped to the learning objectives of UST Global's employees (as part of performance goal setting), providing employees with a clear sense of the e-learning resources available to develop or hone key technical skill sets. To address the increasing need to provide its employees with a comprehensive mix of business skills, such as listening, communication and project management as well as technical expertise, UST Global is creating soft skills competencies based on SkillSoft's courseware. This alignment of on-demand access for self-paced learning with the company's areas of expertise has made it possible for the SkillSoft deployment to quickly exceed initial project goals and usage expectations. In fact, employees accessed more than 1,000 SkillSoft courses, logging more than 10,000 training hours and 3,700 course completions in the first fifteen months of the program.

"SkillSoft is helping our employees develop the right mix of technical and business skills for personal, project and client success," said Niketh Sundar, Global Head, HR at UST Global. "Our offices and client sites around the world now have access to a wealth of formal and informal learning assets that are closely aligned with our Centers of Excellence and overall business objectives. This approach has been integral to optimizing both individual and business performance."

To complement e-learning courses with online reference content for on-the- job learning and performance support, UST Global is also leveraging Books24x7. Books24x7's technology platform enables UST Global employees to quickly pinpoint critical information across a wide range of business and technology topics, providing them with insight to work more efficiently and effectively. In addition, because the Books24x7 content and SkillSoft learning assets are accessible on-demand via the Web, employees have the freedom to learn anytime and from any location, which is critical since such a large percentage of employees work from remote locations.

"We applaud UST Global's efforts to align training and development with its core competencies and business objectives, while at the same time overcoming the logistical challenges of a globally distributed workforce," said Jerry Nine, Chief Operating Officer at SkillSoft. "As leading global organizations like UST Global embrace the concept of 'connected learning,' they continue to turn to SkillSoft for one of the industry's most comprehensive solutions for e-learning and performance support."

About SkillSoft

SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL) is a leading SaaS provider of on-demand e- learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small to medium-sized businesses. SkillSoft enables business organizations to maximize business performance through a combination of comprehensive e- learning content, online information resources, flexible learning technologies and support services.

Content offerings include business, IT, desktop, compliance and consumer/SMB courseware collections, as well as complementary content assets such as Leadership Development Channel video products, KnowledgeCenter(TM) portals, virtual instructor-led training services and online mentoring services. The Books24x7(R) division offers online access to more than 15,000 digitized IT and business books, as well as book summaries and executive reports. Technology offerings include the SkillPort(R) learning management system, Search-and-Learn(R), SkillSoft(R) Dialogue(TM) and virtual classroom.

SkillSoft courseware content described herein is for information purposes only and is subject to change without notice. SkillSoft has no obligation or commitment to develop or deliver any future release, upgrade, feature, enhancement or function described in this press release except as specifically set forth in a written agreement.

SkillSoft, the SkillSoft logo, SkillPort, Search-and-Learn, SkillChoice, Books24x7, ITPro, BusinessPro, OfficeEssentials, GovEssentials, EngineeringPro, FinancePro, AnalystPerspectives, ExecSummaries, ExecBlueprints, Express Guide and Dialogue are trademarks or registered trademarks of SkillSoft PLC in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, countries.

    Contacts:
    Donna Keenan
    SkillSoft
    603.821.3211
    Donna_Keenan@SkillSoft.com

    Becki Parkhurst
    PAN Communications, Inc.,
    978.474.1900
    SkillSoft@pancomm.com

SOURCE SkillSoft PLC

Released November 13, 2007