| Achieving Successful Training |
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Staying at the forefront of a rapidly changing economy is not easy. New unique products and competitors, changing regulations and an expanding global market are challenges facing many professionals. In order to respond to these changes and gain a competitive advantage, training and educating your organisation’s people is crucial. It is widely acknowledged that an organisation’s most valued assets are its people. When people are trained and educated effectively they are more motivated, more productive and ultimately more profitable. After effective training, people are better equipped to resolve problems, develop innovative solutions, adapt to change, communicate openly and manage themselves independently. Increased productivity and motivated, effective people generate a wide range of benefits for employers including, but not limited to;
Both national and international research shows that the increase in productivity resulting from effective training can yield a return on investment (ROI) of more than 30%. (1) However training alone will not generate increased productivity or engaged people. To yield any significant benefit to the organisation learning must be produced as an outcome of the training. It is only through learning that behaviours can be changed to enable the organisation to grow. According to Derek Stockley, “learning is the processing and assimilation of what we hear, see or experience that alters or improves our knowledge, skills and attributes.” (2) In conjunction with the trainer, the physical area in which the training occurs, the training venue, has a critical role to play in ensuring the training successfully results in learning. Saxons Training Facilities is a modern and dynamic training facility provider who specialise in creating the right training environment to maximise learning. Research shows that 83% of learning develops through sight.(3) Arranging a training room with the appropriate visual conditions is vital to allow learning from sight to be achieved. All of Saxons’ training rooms have been designed by an ergonomic specialist to ensure that each student has a clear line of sight to their trainer. Our training rooms are bright and modern with natural light and high ceilings to provide a visually comfortable environment. Saxons’ computer training rooms are set up so that each participant receives their own computer as well as sharing a central monitor between two people. The shared central monitor replicates the trainer’s high definition projector allowing the participants to clearly see the training material from different vantage points. The advanced technology employed at Saxons supports the trainer’s materials to help ensure their presentation is as successful as possible. We offer high speed broadband internet connections and each training room has been designated its own Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) restricting and securing the network communications within each training room. Physical comfort is also a key factor in ensuring participants feel focused and engaged in the training. Our modern and bright rooms are refreshed during training course breaks with fresh water being provided and rubbish removed. Each training room at Saxons is individually air-conditioned to provide a comfortable environment conducive to maximising learning. Training rooms that are not visually and physically comfortable prevent students from learning effectively which inhibits organisational gains. Unfortunately some in-house training rooms do not provide the visual or physical conditions for learning due to capacity and budget constraints. Even if in-house training rooms are visually and physically comfortable, recent surveys suggest that training participants appreciate a real training experience. Being taken away from their office and removed from the pressures and distractions of ‘work’ allows the participants to focus on the training material more attentively. Time away from the office is often perceived positively with participants feeling a sense of goodwill and appreciation of the investment their employer has made in them. Experience shows that during in-house training there is a high rate of training course absenteeism and ‘drop-out’ as participants leave the training to return to their desks to check emails and phone messages. Using an external training facility reduces these ‘work’ distractions and provides training participants with a new experience often different from their normal working week. Each Saxons office is conveniently located in the heart of the central business districts of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in close proximity to major transport hubs enabling ease of access to training participants. In addition to the training venue, the trainer or presenter has a fundamental role in ensuring the training successfully results in learning. A training program can be made or broken by the interaction of the trainer and participants. Often it is difficult for the trainer to find the appropriate mix of energy, pitch, content and technique. A superior external training facility provides a constant source of support to the trainers and presenters. At Saxons, we have a dedicated floor manager and receptionist available all day to meet all of the trainer’s requirements. We also have committed Account and IT managers who work with the trainers in detail prior to the training event to ensure that training room has been set up accurately. The personal, reliable and efficient customer service provided by Saxons helps the trainers feel more confident in their presentation which leads to maximised learning. To be successful, learning must be achieved as an outcome of training. Only when learning has resulted can behaviours change to allow the contribution to strategic goals and profit. Given the significance to achieving training outcomes, it is important to measure the success of the training. Unfortunately, a lot of money spent on training may be wasted because organisations do not measure the training outcomes. How do they know if the training was successful? How can they be sure there is an adequate return on the money spent on training? Organisations that select external training facilities based on monetary criteria alone run the risk of wasting their money as the training venue does not offer the visual and physical criteria to achieve learning. While selecting a cheaper training facility will satisfy budget constraints and the demands of the Finance Department, the trainers, students and Business Managers will not be satisfied because effective learning will not have been achieved. The cost of negative learning is not directly reflected on the balance sheet however, the cost of unproductive staff is reflected clearly through lower revenue balances. Selection criteria of a training facility should be more than just cost of hire and should take into consideration the training environment and how conducive it is to achieving real training outcomes that positively impact the organisation’s bottom line. 1 Training.com.au/ROI calculator |
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