In-House Training
Face-to-face courses have their own benefits and disadvantages, which can be further enhanced through ‘in-house’ training. Instead of requiring delegates to attend an external location and pay their accommodation costs, in-house training enables workers to partake in courses in their usual working environment. For many businesses, this represents the preferred form of project management training. Find out why:
Advantages
Bespoke Course Content
If you choose, in-house training programmes can be delivered in a standard format or tailored around your company’s specific needs. By delivering bespoke course content, you can train your staff using relatable scenarios and information familiar to them to assist the participants in applying the skills learned into the working environment.
Higher Attendance
Hosting in-house courses can maximise attendance rates and encourage more delegates to enrol. When participants aren’t required to travel extensively, it’s naturally easier for them to take part in development training.
Team Building
When students are gathered in one location, they have the opportunity to learn together and discuss the new knowledge and skills they have developed. This can strengthen team bonds and help to create a cohesive workforce that operates more effectively as a unit. Some companies even integrate in-house training with additional social events to generate enhanced team building benefits.
Fast Results
Many in-house courses take place over a limited time. Two or five-day courses are popular as they allow students to learn new skills quickly and ensure that their usual role is subject to minimal disruption. With a fast learning pace, results can be obtained quickly and newly qualified participants can start putting their newfound knowledge to good use.
Disadvantages
Limited Class Numbers
If students are learning in a face-to-face, in-house environment, there are inevitable limits on how many delegates can be catered for at one time. In larger companies, this may mean that multiple APM courses need to be hosted to ensure that every student can fully participate.
Staff Availability
When you want to train staff in-house, it’s vital to ensure their availability in advance. If one member of staff is on holiday, for example, you can end up with a critical member of your team not being able to participate in the learning experience. Due to this, it’s important to align department diaries so that all participants are available for training sessions.
Operational Impact
In-house training certainly has many benefits, but you will need to make sure that your business can operate effectively while the course is taking place. After all, if 80% of your staff are taking part in training sessions, who will be left to run your organisation and deal with the day-to-day tasks that need to be completed? Multiple, staggered courses can be one way to overcome this issue, but contingency planning should be in place so that students can fully immerse themselves in the learning experience.
Limited Reflection Time
Although the speed at which in-house courses can be delivered may be seen as a benefit, it does mean that students can have a limited amount of time to reflect on what they’ve learned. As a result, participants may have follow-up questions that need to be answered outside of the scheduled classroom hours. While this can easily be accommodated with an extended delivery of the training, it should be a consideration when you’re planning in-house courses.
Virtual Training
A halfway house between remote online learning and in-house face-to-face, virtual training has become increasingly popular both during and post lockdown. Delivered typically via Zoom or Teams with daily live interaction with the trainer, this method of training includes pre-course study similar to the in-house course but allows the delegates to join the course live online from wherever they are based.
Advantages
With similar advantages to the face-to-face in-house training i.e. Bespoke Course Content available, Higher Attendance (even available for those working at home), Team Building and Fast Results, virtual training also has the advantage of:
Lower Costs
There is no travel and subsistence for a trainer to visit your office location
Time Savings
Delegates can join the online course from wherever they are based
Disadvantages
Again the disadvantages are similar to the in-house face-to-face training option i.e. Limited Class Numbers, Staff Availability, Operational Impact, Less Reflection Time there is the added disadvantage of:-
Increased Screen Time
This disadvantage is offset by the use of regular breaks to complete written exercises and separate study items throughout the day.
Which Training Methods Are Right for Your Business?
As you can see, online remote learning, virtual and in-house training have their pros and cons but finding the best solution for your company is easier than you think. By analysing your goals and priorities, we can help you to identify the most effective learning options for your team. So, why wait? Contact Provek now on 01635 524610 or email us at enquiries@provek.co.uk to learn more.
