On behalf of its clients, CAS monitors and evaluates hundreds of courses, trainers, training facilities and learner evaluation forms every year. We analyse the findings, identify trends, define corrective actions for training organisations and recommend strategic changes for programme owners. Emerging from all of this are some really key messages on how to improve the overall training experience. For example, here are five things every training organisation should be doing if they are not doing them already:
1. Listen to learners – Take end-of-course evaluation forms seriously. Don’t let trainers influence the feedback AND listen to your customers too. Give learners and customers a voice in how you do things.
2. Stay relevant – Compulsory training doesn’t have to be dull and repetitive – spice it up by using the latest official data and trends; incorporate exercises, games and role play and train your trainers.
3. Read the room – Compulsory training might have a fixed curriculum but this doesn’t mean trainers should simply read out their slides or page-turn through courses. Good trainers know how to suss out the different needs of learners in every class and cover the mandated material in ways that suit and engage them – don’t let trainers tell you they can’t do this. If they really can’t, they are in the wrong job.
4. Steady the pace – One of biggest complaints we hear from learners is that lessons are badly planned with trainers having to speed up to catch up after starting too slow. This points to poor trainer practice – stamp it out and if it’s a product of inexperience, buddy up new trainers with trainers who do get good results.
5. Join the dots – Monitor and evaluate every aspect of the training you offer to form a reliable view of the end-to-end experience your customers and learners are getting – all the way from initial enquiries, booking and joining instructions, through training facilities and training delivery, to post-course administration and the updating of records.
In our independent quality assurance role we are helping clients to achieve and demonstrate continuous improvement to regulators and funders, and drive improved outcomes and customer service for learners. We also help training organisations which are approved to deliver compulsory training to perform more efficiently and effectively.
Get in touch with us for an informal discussion of your needs.