How to… Purchase your training more effectively?

How to…
Purchase your training more effectively?
Find out how to maximise returns from a restricted training
budget.
A Develop Training Publication - 2013
Contents
1. How will this Ebook benefit me?
2. Top 5 tips for maximising your training budget
3. What to do next…
1. How will this Ebook benefit me?
Research undertaken by Develop Training, amongst our clients, confirms that all businesses
increasingly look for training providers to offer good value for money. Develop Training
understands this requirement and has a clear plan to help you get more from your training budget.
We have therefore produced this Ebook to help you plan and manage your budget more effectively
by following 5 easy tips.
By the end of the Ebook you will be able to;
Establish a clear understanding of the return on investment you want to receive from training.
Carry out a cost effective training needs analysis (TNA) on your employees.
Become fully aware of the available tools to assess the individual’s suitability to a particular role
or course.
Make informed decisions on delivery options.
Encourage better returns from training through post course reinforcement.
Purchase training more effectively.
2. Top 5 tips for maximising your training budget.
Tip 1: Have a clear view of the return on investment you want to
achieve from the beginning.
It is best practice to think about the return you want to see from training before the event takes
place. Engaging with the business problems at the start of a training requirement can help you
to focus your efforts on the options that are of the most value to your business.
It is recommended that you consider…
What are the main reasons for undertaking this training at this time (both financial and
non financial) Is it to…
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Deliver a business objective/need?
Improve the skills and knowledge of your teams?
Acquire specialist skills and knowledge in a chosen area?
Gain specific qualifications/certifications?
Help employees during promotion and career advancement?
Remain compliant with legislation?
Achieve cost savings?
Respond to a directive from a statutory body e.g. the HSE?
Once you have a clear view of ‘why’ you need the training, you will be better placed to make a
decision on the type of training solution that will achieve the right return on investment for you.
Develop Training can work with you to understand what you want to get out of the training
intervention and advise on the most appropriate training route to meet your own objectives.
Our dedicated Training Advisory and Delivery Teams are here to help you at this initial and
crucial stage of your training journey. Please call 0800 876 6708 to find out more.
Tip 2: Carry out a detailed training needs analysis (TNA)
It is important to define what training each of your employee’s needs, by looking at the skills
they require in their current and/or future role.
Conducting a training needs analysis for each individual or group of employees will highlight
where the biggest training requirement lies and help you to tailor your training budget to future
needs and wants.
Key questions to ask as part of a training needs analysis (TNA) are;
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4.
What specific competencies are required in the role?
What tasks have been identified to achieve those competencies?
Does the individual match the knowledge, skills and attitude required to carry out the tasks?
Are there any gaps in the individual’s knowledge, skills and attitude required to carry out the
tasks and to be deemed competent in the role?
5. How do I fill in the gaps in knowledge, skills and attitude?
6. How does the TNA link with my companies business objectives?
At this point, you will have a clear idea of what training interventions are needed, for each
individual, to ensure they meet competency requirements across their range of operations.
In 2014 we will be launching our online DIY L&D toolkit, where you will be able to access a
template for a TNA. Please go to www.developtraining.co.uk and sign up, via ‘Log in +’, to
our iDevelop member website, to receive updates on the launch of the tool.
Tip 3: Pre-assessment of your employees
At the start of any training intervention it is important to pre-assess your learners to make sure
they are at the right level for the course in terms of skills and knowledge and they have the
degree of experience required to complete the course successfully. This reduces the risk of
‘sheep dipping’ your staff and allows your training budget to go further by focussing training on
those employees who really need it!
Pre-assessment tools can also be used to;
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Determine if an individual has the right skills and attitudes for the tasks they are
required to do.
Test the knowledge and suitability of a new recruit in your business.
Develop has assembled a number of pre-assessment tools as follows;
Develop Trainings bespoke pre-assessment tools
This tool allows you to test the individual’s knowledge and skills,
before they attend a course, to ensure they have the right level of
knowledge and experience to complete it successfully.
The Risk Type Compass (RTC)
This is a personality based assessment measuring individual risk
tolerance. Risk Type assessments identify individual
characteristics which have a persistent and pervasive influence
on health and safety attitudes and on responses to H&S
requirements. The results can be used to identify additional
training requirements.
Thomas International – Personal Profile Assessment (PPA)
This tool provides you with a validated, non-critical behavioural
analysis of a person, emphasising his/her strengths and capabilities
in the work environment and against their roles and
responsibilities. If the individual is being trained for a new
appointment in the business, you may want to assess them via the
PPA first to confirm if they have the right capabilities.
PsyKey
The test covers the main areas of ability typically assessed in
selection processes, tapping in to the individual’s practical and
numerical reasoning skills, and their vocabulary and verbal
comprehension. The results can then be used to create training
and development plans for your employees.
Develop Training provide all of these assessments as part of their training solutions
package, visit http://www.developtraining.co.uk/assessments.aspx to find out more about
the assessments and the benefits they offer you.
Tip 4: Work closely with Develop Training to select and plan your
courses
Develop Training takes an innovative approach to training by implementing a 3 stage process
training model (see below) for all training requests which, when followed, will help you to
purchase training more effectively.
The approach sets out a route which delegates must move through to achieve 100% of the
potential benefit from the training.
Traditionally, 20% of the learning takes place at the pre-training stage, with 10% occurring at
the time of delivery and 70% resting on the post event reinforcement.
Develop Training’s ability to offer hands on/practical experience during the course delivery,
reduces the reliance on post course reinforcement, to less than 50%.
Here are a few points to consider when planning your training;
Stage 1: Pre-course activity
Work with Develop Training to understand what you want to achieve from the training and
establish what training needs exist at an individual level (see tips 1 and 2 above for more
information).
Use the pre-assessment tools available at Develop Training to make sure employees are
on the right course (see tip 3 for more information).
Allow Develop Training to work with you to produce a training schedule that maps out your
training requirements for the year ahead.
Stage 2: Event Delivery
Choose a delivery option that suits your business requirements, from open programme
dates to courses delivered onsite at your premises.
Don’t ‘sheep dip employees’ and make your budget go further (see above).
Allow your employees to gain hands on/practical experience by booking a course with
Develop Training.
Enhance the benefit from the training by considering Develop Trainings optional attitude
based training to ensure knowledge and skills are used correctly.
Stage 3: Post- event reinforcement of training to achieve maximum returns on your training
investment
Develop Training can support you to encourage post course learning when the individual
returns to work (see tip 5 for more information).
Tip 5: Encourage post course reinforcement
Research suggests that up to 70% of the learning takes place post course when the learner
returns to the workplace. However, Develop Training’s hands on approach to training reduces
this reliance to less than 50%.
However, it is advised that the line manager meets with the employee post course to review the
training and set actions to make sure new skills are put in to practice.
There are other things that can be implemented to help cement and further develop the skills
learned. This includes:
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Buddy up learners with experienced members of staff so they can mentor them.
Provide practical opportunities to practice and use the new skills in the workplace.
For those that do not need to use their skills on a daily basis, look at opportunities where
they can shadow other team members.
Sign up to resources that aid continued professional development e.g. industry bodies and
industry news/magazines.
On site assessment from Develop Training (further details are available on request).
Develop Trainings ability to offer hands on practical experience to delegates during the training
(stage 2 of the process training model) means that the reliance on post course learning is
reduced to 50%. This minimises the risk of loosing the benefit of the training when the
individual returns to work.
Develop Training is here to support you in deciding on the right routes to take. So if you are
unsure about the best way to maximise post course learning, please let us know and our
experienced trainers will be happy to talk through this with you. Call us on 0800 876 6708 to
find out more.
3. What to do next…
Contact Develop Training!
Our experienced teams are happy to discuss all of the options available to you and provide support
on planning and managing your training budget.
You can get in touch with the team today by;
Tel: 0800 876 6708
Email: enquiries@developtraining.co.uk
Website: www.developtraining.co.uk
You can also sign up to our mailing list to be kept up to date with the latest news,
advice and support from Develop: http://www.developtraining.co.uk/subscription