How to develop training courses?

With today’s ever-changing business environment, there’s an imperative need to continually learn and equip ourselves with the latest skill sets and know-how in order to succeed. Training is one such way to achieve this.

With training, you can improve your employee’s performance and capabilities. A capable and competent worker is indeed crucial to the success of any organization; add training to that equation, and you have a guaranteed way of bolstering your organization’s continued success. After all, an employee who continually improves and becomes more capable is always better than one who remains stagnant.

If you are looking to develop content or a curriculum for a training course, it would be beneficial to learn how to develop effective training properly. Investing in training can be costly, which is why it’s so important to get the steps correct so as to avoid wasting time, money and valuable resources.

To develop a training course, here’s a five-step model you can closely follow:

Step 1: Analyze (Assess training needs)

Training may be needed when organizations have identified something to be lacking in their employees. There could be a gap between the desired performance and the current performance, and the reason for that gap could be an outdated skill or knowledge. However, training may not always be the answer or may only resolve part of the problem, so a proper analysis of the situation is required. You can conduct a “Training Needs Assessment” to determine if a training need exists, and if it does, what kind of training is required to meet that need.

 

Step 2: Design (Outline the objectives)

If training is necessary, you should define the objectives that you wish to achieve from training. Will these objectives help to fill the gap you have identified at Step 1 and turn your employees into more effective workers? Create training outlines and training plans for your course. Outlines provide a strong foundation for content development, as they help you organize your thoughts and content better.

 

Step 3: Develop (Create your training materials)

Now you will get down to the actual content development of your training materials, which are an important part of any training course. Examples of training materials include trainee’s manual, facilitator’s guide, handouts, visual aids, and so on. It’s important that your content are presented in an engaging manner, in order to appeal to different learning styles as well as to retain the learner’s interest.

Step 4: Implement

This is when you will carry out your actual training course. Hire a trainer who will be able to successfully carry out the objectives you wish to achieve through training. A good trainer is not only someone who has the necessary qualifications and experience – they should also have other qualities such as strong communication skills, in order to engage the participants.

 

 

Step 5: Evaluate (Refine and revise your course)

After the training course is over, you should evaluate every component of the course, such as the effectiveness of the course, feedback from the participants, etc. Evaluation checks ascertain whether training has had the desired effect and whether your initial objectives have been achieved. With these evaluations, you can further refine and improve your course for the future.

Unless you have a dedicated learning and development department, it is much more efficient and cost-effective to entrust the development of your training course to a learning solutions provider. The right training & development partner can customize a training solution that best suits your needs, and help your team succeed.

Verztec Consulting is a leading ISO 9001:2008 Global Content Consulting Company. VerztecLearning™, the Learning Solutions arm of Verztec Consulting, is a leader in custom blended learning and online training for soft skills, business skills and IT skills. With a suite of training options ranging from classroom training to e-learning, VerztecLearning™ offers innovative learning solutions that are specially crafted based on its robust learning and development capabilities, as well as in-depth knowledge of various industries. From your project’s initiation to its completion, VerztecLearning™ will work with you at every stage of the process to address your strategic training needs, thanks to a trusted 360-Degree Learning Methodology.

Drop us an email at enquiry@verztec.com or call +65-6577 4646 to talk to us about your learning and development needs.

About the Writer

Far is a Senior Editor at Verztec Consulting. Writing and reading are two of her greatest passions in life. When she’s not writing, she either spends her time curling up in bed with a good book and a delicious mug of hot chocolate, or fantasizing about opening up a bookstore café in the future.