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Frequently asked questions
about Travel Free Black BeltTraining
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the page)
What is Travel Free Training?
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Is
Travel Free Six Sigma training as good as traditional classroom training?
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Is
everything covered that is covered in a traditional course?
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Are
there hands-on exercises where I get to try what I'm learning?
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What
actually happens during a typical class?
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What
time of day do classes meet?
-
What
are "coaches"?
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Who
are the instructors and coaches?
-
Can
I interact with instructors, coaches and other students?
-
Can
I network with other students?
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What
if I have questions between the training weeks?
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Can
I get consulting from PCI?
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Will
I get help with my project?
-
Are
there exams?
-
Will
I be certified when I complete the training?
-
Are
there required textbooks?
-
What
if I miss a class? Can I make it up?
-
How
long do Black Belt courses take to complete?
-
When
are future classes scheduled?
-
How
much does it cost?
-
How
do I sign up?
-
How
do I get more information?
-
What
topics are covered in Black Belt training?
-
What
software do I need?
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Do
I need a project?
-
Will
I receive coaching assistance with my project?
Answers to FAQs
What is Travel Free Training?
Travel Free training is an approach that brings you all
of the benefits of traditional Six Sigma training, without the expense
and hassle of travel. Our instructors have decades of experience with
classroom training and they use the exact same training materials as is
used in classroom training. The material is covered in the same presentation
time. However, since no travel is required, we are able to schedule the
training at times that are much more convenient. The same classroom exercises
are used, and our coaches help students who are having difficulty, just
like we do during our on-site training. PCI uses WebEx as our web meeting
platform, the most widely used and respected software for meeting live
via the Internet.
Is Travel Free Six Sigma training
as good as traditional classroom training?
As with face to face instruction, you can interact with
your instructors in a variety of ways: you can "raise your hand"
to get the instructor's attention; talk to the instructor, coach, or other
students via a teleconference or Internet voice link; ask for permission
to annotate the instructor's presentation; download data during the presentation;
sketch or type on a whiteboard; share your data files with others to get
their comments; and much, much more. In many ways, Travel Free Training
is a better learning experience. For example, you can let your coach or
consultant view your screen to see precisely where you are having trouble.
Your coach or consultant can even take control of your computer (with
your permission, of course!) to walk you through the proper use of a particular
approach or software tool. Finally, PCI's Travel Free Training is conducted
in four hour increments instead of the traditional all day marathon. Research
shows that adult learners retain much more from presentations of shorter
duration.
Is everything covered that is covered
in a traditional course?
Travel Free training doesn't cut any corners. PCI uses
The Six Sigma Handbook, the same text that's used by thousands
of corporations, consulting companies, and universities around the world
to train Six Sigma Black Belts and Green Belts. In fact, PCI's Founder
and President, Thomas Pyzdek, wrote The Six Sigma Handbook and
is widely regarded as a leading expert in Six Sigma.
Are there hands-on exercises where
I get to try what I'm learning?
PCI's Travel Free Six Sigma training is very hands-on.
The instructor will stop at frequent intervals and break the class into
small groups to work on exercises under the direction of a coach. Using
WebEx technology the coach will be able to help you if you get stuck by
viewing you as you work or, if you wish, by taking control of your computer
to show you precisely how to complete a given exercise.
What actually happens during a
typical class?
Before the class begins you will open an email that you
received from PCI and click on a link that will take you to the PCI training
website. Once there you will find the meeting on a list and click a link
to join the meeting. You will participate in the voice portion of the
class either through your computer (if you have speakers and a microphone,)
or by dialing into a teleconference for the session. You will see a screen
that includes a list of other attendees, a notepad, a chat window, and
the document being presented by the instructor. You can take notes as
you go, raise your hand (by clicking a button) to get the instructor's
attention, chat with other students privately, and much more.
From time to time the instructor will stop the presentation
and assign an exercise to be completed in a smaller group. At that time
you will leave the main classroom and enter a virtual breakout room by
clicking on the appropriate link on the PCI training website. At this
time you'll be taken to a meeting hosted by a coach to complete the exercise.
If you have trouble you can ask your coach for help, let your coach share
your desktop, talk to other students in the breakout group, etc.
Training sessions run for 50 minutes per hour for four
hours per day. Training is conducted during alternating weeks, so you'll
have a week off between each training week. There are networking opportunities
you can take advantage of during the weeks between training weeks.
Can I interact with instructors,
coaches and other students?
Absolutely! PCI uses the WebEx web meeting platform, the
best available. You'll have access to chat, voice communication, annotation
tools, and a variety of other devices to assure that you'll be in constant
contact with everyone involved. You'll be asked to take a free WebEx demo/training
class prior to starting Six Sigma training so you'll be well versed in
using all of the features of this extremely powerful approach.
What if I miss a class? Can I make
it up?
Yes. Classes (but not breakout sessions) are recorded
and available for playback for two weeks from the date the class was conducted.
What time of day do classes meet?
Classes meet from 10:00AM until 2:00PM Eastern time. Classes
run every other week.
What are "coaches"?
Coaches are Six Sigma subject matter experts who assist
the instructor during class exercises and breakout sessions.
Who are the instructors and coaches?
PCI's instructors and coaches are associates of PCI who
have broad experience with the application and teaching of Six Sigma.
Learn more.
Can I network with other students?
Yes. There are several ways in which PCI facilitates networking.
During a training session you can use the chat window to chat privately
with any other student. In the weeks between training sessions, PCI sponsors
an unhosted live web meeting session we call the "Student Lounge."
No instructors or coaches are present (except to help if there are technical
difficulties) and you are free to chat using Internet voice or text
chat. You also have access to the PCI intranet site where you can look
at the student roster for your class, join discussion forums, view announcements,
share documents with others, and much more. We call this the "Student
Union."
What if I have questions between
the training weeks?
If you have questions relating to the training material
between the training weeks there are several ways to get them answered.
Your instructor, or another expert, will host a weekly office hours web
meeting where you can drop in and ask your question. You can also
use the PCI intranet site to post your question to a discussion forum
where it can be read and responded to either by another student, or by
one of PCI's associates. Finally, if you purchased the consulting
option, you can contact your PCI consultant for advice.
Can I get consulting from PCI ?
Consulting from a knowledgeable and experienced PCI consultant
is available at an additional charge. Black Belt certification is included
in the consulting option. Click
here for details.
Will I get help with my project?
Project consulting from a knowledgeable and experienced
PCI consultant is available at an additional charge. Click
here for details.
Those who do not take the consulting option can still
post project related questions on the PCI intranet forum where they might
be able to get assistance from another forum member.
Are there exams?
Yes. Exams will be given from time to time to provide
feedback to the PCI team of instructors and coaches. We want to be sure
that the topics presented are understood. Your exam scores are strictly
confidential.
Will I be certified when I complete
the training?
Every student who attends at least 80% of the training
sessions will receive a certificate of course completion. However, completing
the training is not enough to be certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt.
To become a PCI Certified Six Sigma Black Belt you must
also meet the PCI certification requirements within one year from the
start of training, click
here for details. The cost of the certification exam and certification
review board is included in your course fee.
Are there required textbooks?
Registered students will receive autographed copies of
the two required texts: The Six
Sigma Handbook and The
Six Sigma Project Planner.
How long do Black Belt courses
take to complete?
Black Belt courses take approximately 16 calendar weeks
to complete. The time to completion varies slightly due to holidays.
When are future classes scheduled?
For future Black Belt training classes, click
here.
How much does it cost?
For Black Belt pricing, click
here.
How do I sign up?
For Black Belt training, click
here. For Black Belt consulting, click
here.
For Green Belt training, click
here.
For Green Belt consulting, click
here.
What topics are covered in Black
Belt training?
Click here to
view the curriculum for Black Belts.
What topics are covered in Green
Belt training?
Click here to
view the curriculum for Green Belts.
What software do I need?
To confirm that you can run WebEx, which is required for
PCI Travel Free training, go to www.webex.com
and take the free demo tour. You should have an up to date version of
Internet Explorer. You will need the basic Microsoft Office suite and
should be proficient with Excel. You will also need to have MINITAB installed
on your computer, preferably version 14 or later. Click
here for MINITAB pricing information. If you wish to purchase Minitab,
contact PCI.
Do I need a project?
Although a project is not required. We strongly recommend
that you get a real-world project to work on during Six Sigma training.
Project selection, execution and management are a major focus of the training
for both Black Belts and Green Belts and the training will be much more
useful to you if you are working on a real project.
Will I receive coaching assistance
for my project?
Not unless you purchase optional PCI consulting. Click
here for information on Black Belt consulting.
How do I get more information?
Click here to contact PCI for
additional information.
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