Elsevier’s product line of online training curricula under the brand of DirectCourse will officially launch in November, along with the introduction of its second curriculum – the College of Employment Services (CES). Both will be rolled out during the Alliance for Full Participation Conference Nov. 17-19 in Washington, D.C.

DirectCourse is an expanding lineup of online curricula to train professionals who support people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, as well as older adults. Its three-pronged approach is to Educate, Enrich and Inspire people to find their way to a better life through better supports provided by a trained workforce educated and enriched by DirectCourse content.

“Building on the continued success of the College of Direct Support curriculum, we are committed to meeting the educational needs of a growing number of community-based workers in a cost-effective and efficient way,” says John Schrefer, President of Elsevier/MC Strategies. “DirectCourse brings together the robust functionality of our Elsevier Performance Manager learning and performance solution with best in class curricula developed by the recognized thought leaders in the field.”

DirectCourse is anchored by the renowned College of Direct Support (CDS) curriculum developed by the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living. For more than 10 years CDS has been the recognized gold standard for training Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to support those with disabilities who live in community-based settings.

Joining CDS this upcoming November within the DirectCourse overbrand will be the College of Employment Services curriculum. The CES curriculum is developed and authored by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In early 2012, a third curriculum will be added to DirectCourse that will focus on older adults and persons with physical disabilities

DirectCourse’s content is the result of establishing ground-breaking partnerships between the leading university centers for excellence and Elsevier, a worldwide trusted provider of learning and performance solutions. DirectCourse sets clear national standards for the industry and offers each worker and learner a direction and course toward greater professionalism.

Both the CDS and the new College of Employment Services curricula are powered by the Elsevier Performance Manager: Core Development platform that is used and trusted by more than 1,500 organizations worldwide and used by more than 1.5 million employees. The Elsevier Performance Manager offers powerful tracking and assessment tools that facilitate collaboration and communication throughout your organization.

We’ll be showcasing our new DirectCourse overbrand along with the College of Direct Support and the launch of the College of Employment Services during the Alliance for Full Participation Summit on Nov. 17-19 at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel just outside of Washington. Our new curriculum on employment services is a perfect fit for this conference with its theme: “Summit 2.0 Real Jobs–It’s Everyone’s Business.”

We’re also introducing a new website and exciting marketing materials, along with the utilization of social media, to support and market DirectCourse. You can learn more about these initiatives at our booth at the AFP conference. Please stop by and visit with us!