Learning and development should be a high priority in every organisation as it drives engagement and productivity. One of the biggest concerns that I hear from clients about external training, is achieving value for money, especially when sending employees on what can at times be very expensive training courses. They want to ensure that any investment in training will add value to both the individual participating and the organisation.
It can be tempting to view training as an optional expenditure, to deliver it in house or even finding free courses. Whilst these can provide alternative methods they too have their pitfalls. For example, I recently sent staff on a free course, however the trainer was inexperienced in the subject matter and their approach to delivering the course was very unstructured, which really frustrated my employees.
Factors to consider before choosing an external provider
It might seem obvious, but start by identifying the need for training and what you want the training to achieve.
Ask how relevant the training is to the individual’s role? And whether training is required at this point-in-time. Training works best when people can use the knowledge or skills acquired from it straight away. Will the trainee be offered on the job support and coaching by the organisation after completion?
Selecting an external trainer
Once you have identified the training needs for your organisation and employees, you now need to find a provider to deliver your training solution, someone who will fully understand your training requirements and can engage with the trainees.
Research the content of the training, how it is delivered and the relevancy to the objectives and outcomes you want to achieve. Are there testimonials from past participants? Were they from a similar industry to you? Don’t just research the training provider as an organisation, also find out about the individual trainers who will be delivering the training.
When you begin looking for a provider keep in mind that trainers are often experts in a specific subject or industry. A trainer who has no knowledge or background in your industry may find it more difficult to have engaging content for those taking part.
Find out if they customise their content, or at least core elements of it to fit with your industry and/or your requirements?
How do they help trainees to embed the learning from the course into the workplace? For example, do they set targets on how they will use their learning in their role whilst setting a realistic time frame to achieve this?
Engaging employees is key to thriving as a business, as is understanding any skills gaps and training that is required to fill these gaps. Providing external training opportunities, shows a commitment and willingness to invest in your employees. Investing in external training providers requires a good deal of research and an understanding of the objectives and outcomes required for the business.
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