Author name: Sue Garner

With the issue of skill gaps being reported in every industry, more employers are recruiting and promoting ‘best fit’ candidates and developing potential with training. It’s an effective strategy if the individuals put training into practice. However, if training is a tick box exercise, it’s worthless, so how do we ensure implementation? Filling the Skills Gap with Training Employers across the UK are struggling to recruit employees with the necessary competencies, experience and attitude for the role. In the Hays 2022 What Workers Want survey, 77% of employers had concerns about skill shortages. To address this, 60% reported increasing training resources to upskill employees. In addition, 80% were willing to hire individuals with potential, rather than the ideal candidate. The alternative is to leave vacancies unfilled. These ‘best fit’ candidates need training and development opportunities to bring them up to speed. As a professional trainer, mentor and coach, I have always focused on outcomes. There is no point in me delivering training or attendees joining me if they never apply what they learn. Training only becomes valuable when it is implemented. In my experience, four critical factors are required if training is to be put into practice: Training Delegate Attitude Our mindset is different if we are told to attend training, compared to if we are involved in the process and agreeing on training needs. Our attitude is positive if we understand the purpose and see what is in it for us and that makes us open to learning. Help elevate delegate motivation by encouraging them to identify needs before and during training sessions. Equally, whilst there are organisational benefits to upskilling team members, individuals will be more motivated by personal gains. For this reason, it is useful to understand their priorities and ambitions. What will completing and implementing training mean to them? Pre-training Preparation Pre-training preparation helps the trainer to tailor the course content and outcomes to meet the needs and expectations of the organisation and the delegates. It also promotes delegate readiness. To encourage engagement, it is important that training is pitched at an appropriate level for the individuals. Too low and they will be dismissive, too high and they won’t feel confident about actively participating or applying the learning. A pre-course questionnaire might be used to inform this. The course content also needs to relate to the organisation and the role. Collaboration between the organisation and trainer helps ensure that activities tie into the work environment. All expectations should be explained to the delegates before the course. Will they be required to share key points of the learning with other staff or write a training report for their manager? Do they need to bring anything, prepare questions or complete pre-work in advance? Training Design & Delivery Professional trainers design courses using a variety of media and resources that all learning styles can connect with. Delivery is dynamic, positive and impactful, driving delegates to see the purpose and value of upskilling. There are opportunities for questions to be asked and answers given or solutions discussed. Ideally, the content will be tailored around smart objectives and outcomes focused. It may incorporate a delegate commitment to self-identified actions following the course. Providing takeaway resources can provide a point of reference that delegates can revisit when specific scenarios occur. Learning Transfer Even when the training is fresh in delegates’ minds, transferring the learning into the workplace will not happen without adequate time and support. Delegates require the opportunity to put it into practice and to be encouraged. If they hit a barrier or setback, they need support and reassurance to try again or they will default to what is comfortable and familiar. Individuals may need to be prompted to use their new skills and asked how they are getting on. Is there anything else that would help them to develop? This workplace support may come from peers, managers or a performance coach who holds them accountable, recognises progress and optimises their potential. The success of training will only be as good as the success of the learning transfer, so it is critical that workplace support or follow-up is included in the training plan. This is a crucial, yet often overlooked, element that determines if the organisation receives good value for their investment. Training to Develop Talent Upskilling individuals can resolve skills gaps, but only if the individual is motivated and prepared, the training is relevant and engaging and there is ongoing support with implementation. With the four steps in place, training can make businesses rich in talent. If leadership training and performance coaching could transform the capabilities of your team, get in touch to discuss your requirements at info@suegarner.co.uk or 07775 624724.

Virtual training – tick, e-learning – tick, blended learning – tick. Adapting to new ways of working is nothing new to those in training and development. In recent years, we’ve embraced technology, discovered new features and adapted content so it works with remote audiences. So, now we’ve mastered the technology, can we stick with it or is something else in store? The Shift to Virtual Training Over the last few years, virtual training and e-learning have been essential. With hybrid and remote working becoming commonplace, going digital has ensured skill development remains accessible to all. Research shared in a Digits article* states that the e-learning industry has grown 900% since 2020. After the initial challenges of mute buttons, breakout rooms and maintaining engagement, we’ve become dab hands with training technology. However, change is a constant, so, before you get too comfortable, here’s some insight into what is in store. Training Trends for 2023 1 – Firstly, the most sought-after training, based on UK searches, are: The World Economic Forum predicts that 50% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025** to remain relevant. Skills like critical thinking and problem solving, as well as personal resilience and flexibility are seen as the necessary skills for the future of work. If you are training in these areas, promote your services with a strong marketing campaign and expect to be in demand! I’m already taking bookings for Leadership Essentials, Team Building and Communicating with Impact through to the summer. 2 – Nano Learning is the preferred way of upskilling People prefer to absorb information in bite-sized chunks. So, by condensing training into short hits of information, you make it more accessible and digestible.You might still run a longer course, yet provide follow-up resources in formats that enable learners to dive in, find the information they are looking for and apply it. So think infographics, video clips, podcasts and flowcharts. 3 – Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality bring learning to Life VR and AR provide experiences that aid understanding and bring learning to life. They provide an opportunity to get hands-on without risk. Learners can practice delivering a killer presentation, learn to install or operate equipment or even undertake surgical procedures without anyone else needing to be involved. I’ve not yet used them in my courses, but the time may come! 4 – Subscription-based Learning Flexibility is key for many learners. They want to work at their pace, skipping elements that are irrelevant and focusing on their priorities. The traditional training course, with fixed content, doesn’t satisfy this need, but subscription-based learning does. This training model provides those who sign up with access to a range of course materials. These can include recorded sessions and talks, activities, materials, resources and related content. The learner has the freedom to work through it at their own pace, tailoring it to their needs. The subscription is typically monthly and offered on a rolling contract. Some may dip in for a few months only, others continue to subscribe for years. I’ve offered my Training Club and Premier Training Club as a subscription-based learning model and have found it beneficial to me and the members. Is this a style that you might adopt in the coming year? 5 – Personalised Training The more relevant training is to an individual, the more they will benefit from it. For this reason, personalised training is effective. This is where the learner outlines their development goals and the trainer responds. I’ve used this approach in coaching and mentoring leaders. Each comes with skills and potential, yet also fears and challenges. I listen to what they want to achieve and tailor sessions to help them fulfil their agenda. Sign Yourself Up for a Training Course One way to discover and test out new training techniques is to sign ourselves up for a course. I’m fascinated by other trainers, the way they engage the audience and the tools they use. So, why not sign up for a training course and see if that sparks fresh ideas and approaches in your courses? Virtual Learning Statistics 10 Work Skills of Tomorrow

Can you deliver your training in 20 minutes or less? If not, you need to develop a range of activities and resources to maintain engagement. In this article, we explore why interactive training helps delegates to absorb and apply the learning. How to Avoid Delegates Getting Distracted Back in 2009, studies by Dukette and Cornish revealed that adults have a sustained attention span of 20 minutes. After this time, if there is no change in activity, the mind will seek out an alternative stimulus. Drag on and you can expect your audience to get distracted, start fidgeting and be thinking about what to have for tea. As a trainer, this is valuable insight. It doesn’t mean that our training courses can’t exceed 20 minutes. It’s just that we can’t deliver too much information in one hit. We need to offer variety and interactivity. By providing the change of stimulus, we can keep learners engaged in our courses. Audience Participation Training Options Polls & Quizzes Whether online or in person, technology has made it easy to create multi-media training sessions. For a start, polls and quizzes are ways to involve your audience and get a feel for their opinions or current level of knowledge or understanding of the content. Group Discussions Group discussions or challenges enable the delegates to share ideas, develop solutions and gather peer input that can spark ideas. The group dynamics don’t always work, but sometimes group members will learn more from each other than from the trainer. Yes, that’s right; we aren’t the font of all knowledge! The experience or suggestion shared by a peer can be the thing that makes sense and enables someone to gain competence and confidence. Practical Activities Practical activities get everyone moving about. As long as the activity is relevant to the course objectives and reinforces a key message, they are an effective way to put learning into action. Plenty of learners have a preference for learning by doing. Therefore, allowing them to put the theory into action aids understanding. It’s not unusual for me to arrive at a training session (even virtually!) with a box of resources. Cards, dice, balls, real or virtual Post-It notes and more can be used to transform passive into active learning!Following a practical activity, ask delegates how they found the experience. Did it raise any issues or questions? Has it altered their thoughts about the subject or has it sparked ideas? Learning Styles The concept that we all have a preferred learning style was widely explored in the 1970 and 80s. The suggestion was that, as learners, we find it easier to take on information if it is presented in a specific way. In the Kolb Model, learners were Accommodating, Converging, Diverging or Assimilating. Honey & Mumford offered Activist, Pragmatist, Reflector and Theorist. Whilst Burke Barb presented us as Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic learners. More recently, studies by Susan Greenfield* and Massa & Mayer** have shown that, whilst we have natural preferences, the concept of fixed groups is misleading. They have proven that the best learning outcomes occur when we are exposed to a range of styles. So, we need to mix things up!What’s your learning style? We tend to favour our preference when creating training courses, so be mindful of that. Ensure that you are presenting a good mix of written, visual, active and verbal material. This might take you out of your comfort zone, but ultimately, it makes the training more enjoyable for you too. Blended Learning The future of training lies in blended learning. That is a mix of in-person training, virtual training, self-paced online courses and micro-learning (snippets of information to embed the training).We should also explore ways to engage multiple senses in the training. The result will be an increase in the likelihood of learning being absorbed, memorable and applied. Therefore, divide your training materials and message into a series of short chunks using a variety of techniques. What we can’t forget is that our courses are all about outcomes. They need to alter their thinking and behaviours. We want to equip the learner, so they become more competent and confident in their role. As trainers, we are employed to help learners gain awareness so they can overcome barriers and move towards individual and organisational goals. Engage your Audience So, to engage delegates and give them the best chance of absorbing and applying the learning, you need to: Finally, as you deliver and develop new ideas, you will build a bank of tools and resources to draw on. These can be invaluable for tailoring your training to the audience. If you need help building your resources, I regularly share resources on my website and in my online Training Club. * https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/style_without_substance.pdf ** https://people.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer/cs6604/Papers/Validity_2006.pdf Sign up to my newsletter to receive monthly training tips and related information.