Creating & Delivering Training Programs
Plan Outstanding Education Sessions for Exceptional Results
Mar 7, 2009
Appropriate training, delivered in the right mode, at the right time and in the right environment, can develop an employee’s professional skills to a new level. The first step in delivering outstanding training is determining the need for skills development amongst employees.
Training Needs Analysis
The steps to undertake a training needs analysis are:
- review current training provided
- investigate, through surveying employees and management, desired skills improvements
- research best practice in training programs for your industry.
Developing a Training Program
From the training needs analysis, skill gaps in employees can be identified. In order to develop the training program, the question how is XYZ Corporation going to eliminate employee skill gaps needs to be answered. This involves determining the best way to deliver the required training. Delivery formats can include:-
- external training providers;
- performance counselling for individual employees;
- computer based training; and
- peer based training.
It is important to select the delivery format that most appeals to the staff and management of the corporation. If it is difficult for staff to be absent from the worksite, computer based training that can be accessed from an employee’s work or personal computer may be the most effective method of training.
Adult Learning
Adults learn in a different manner to school children and, in many cases, bring their own experiences of the working environment to the training room. It is important, when creating a training program, to acknowledge the strengths and experiences of the people you are working and provide opportunities for discussion and interaction.
Curriculum
All training programs should be based on a curriculum, whether it has been obtained from a government training agency or developed specifically for the workplace. A curriculum does not need to be a long document, it just needs to set out learning objectives and how these will be assessed. In many workplace situations, there is no formal assessment of the skills acquired by training participants, however it is important for training participants to understand what skills they will obtain from participating in the program.
Evaluation
At the end of all training sessions, provide participants with an evaluation form. Obtaining feedback from participants on what was good about the training and what was not so good enables the trainer to assess their own performance and the package and make improvements for the next time it is delivered. It is also important to obtain feedback from the management of the corporation in order to understand their opinions of the training format and whether there has been any change in employee skills.
In order to create outstanding training programs, a large amount of research and development must be undertaken prior to delivery the training. Remember the 5P rule – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
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