PRINCETON, WVa—The U.S. Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center has created a new training information exchange Web site called HONE!.

People seeking training in the wood products industries can use this Web site to search the course catalog or be notified automatically by e-mail about courses that fit their personalized search criteria as new courses are added. The HONE! Web site address is www.honeonline.info .

Wood Education and Resource Center Director Steve Milauskas said, “Forest products industries operate in an increasingly competitive environment. While training is rapidly becoming a survival strategy for many, finding appropriate instruction can be a cumbersome and frustrating process. Our goal with HONE! is to make it convenient for those seeking out education opportunities anywhere in the United States to easily identify opportunities, and for providers to readily get the word out about their programs. All that is required for both consumers and providers of training and continuing education programs to access HONE!, is to logon and register with the site—it’s just that simple.”
 
Program providers are encouraged to register on the HONE! Web site, then post teaching opportunities such as workshops, short courses, seminars, conferences, and continuing education and training programs.

The HONE! training information exchange system offers benefits for both training participants and providers, including:

• An automatic e-mail system that notifies participants about offerings that meet specific education requirements
• An easy-to-use registration process
• The ability to easily browse the course catalog, and filter programs by topic, location, and dates
• The ability for course providers to quickly gauge industry needs
• A community forum to discuss training and training needs with others (both participants and providers)
• A personalized “My Page” space to save program descriptions and other information for future reference
The system provides participants with a single, timely source for education programs; a simplified process for planning and scheduling training; and the ability to contact providers about instructional offerings and additional information.

This system also benefits instructors by providing:

• An editable, easy-to-use system for posting program descriptions
• An ability to reach potential participants nationally and across industry groups
• Simplified access to program information and descriptions
• Site metrics related to information posted to the Web site by each provider

For additional information, logon to the Web site or contact the HONE! Web site Administrator by calling (563) 652–5104 or sending an e-mail to woodtraining@gmail.com.

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