TO TRAIN OR NOT TO TRAIN Partners Blake Henegan and Paul Judge set up Optimum Sourcing Ltd in 2009 after identifying the need for a company that could provide truly independent training expertise, with a variety of services and options unique to each client. After over 10 years’ experience, an impressive client database, and a move to a new home, The Maltings in Sawbridgeworth, we sat down with Blake to find out where to start when looking for a training provider. Learning and Development is crucial to the success of a business. Every organisation is different so will have different needs and wants. When choosing a training provider, you want to make sure that the money being spent and the time that the employee is investing are worth it. Therefore it is a good idea to have a number of different choices for fulfilling the training need. Each provider will have different strengths and weaknesses and it is vital to understand these before parting with any money. When choosing between providers then I would recommend looking at the following:
TRACK RECORD
Who have they worked with and how recently? Work with clients who will understand your business and the culture. Would an Invement bank want a trainer who has only ever worked in the pusector and vice versa? Probably not.
EXPERTISE
Related to the above point are you working with a provider who specialises in the training you are looking for? So if you need sales training then approach specialist sales training companies, if you need PRINCE2 go to PRINCE2 specialists. There are plenty of providers out there who are desperate for business so will attempt
to deliver topics they are not experts at.
REFERENCES
Don’t just get testimonials, these will always be positive. Ask for at least two clients references and then contact them. Don’t just ask if the training was good, ask them what the provider was like to work with, how was their customer service, did they have good ideas, were they flexible?
FINANCIALS
Take out credit checks on them. Get your financial team to evaluate their position. Providers will ask for payment prior to the training however how can you be sure the company will still be in business?
SERVICE
When you first approach the company how did they respond? Are the sales people pushy? Are they responsive? You want to work with providers you can trust and who wont be constantly selling to you.
OBJECTIVE
Consider what your end objective is and make sure that the training solution offered will match this or be part of an overall plan. Training, Learning and Development should always be happening within organisations especially with the developed world and the UK to keep companies progressing, competitive and innovative. It is not good enough to do the bare minimum. The developing nations are and will catch up and the global market will become even more competitive. The question is, can you afford not to train?
HERTS TRAINING LAUNCH
APPRENTICESHIPS ADD MORE VALUE
Trainers are always looking for work closer to home. And companies would source their training locally if they could. But it can be hard to find just the right person. What’s the answer?
Research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) shows that Apprenticeships generate around £40 for each pound invested by the government.
Harpenden entrepreneur Michael Bentley thinks he knows. He and his team have spent the past six months meticulously searching for Hertfordshire-based trainers and coaches to build up an online database that local businesses can search free of charge to find the expert they need. With more than 400 individual trainers, coaches and training companies already on their list they’ve just announced a launch date of 31 May for the new service.
In addition, the study reveals the Further Education (FE) sector provides an additional £75 billion for the economy.
They have exciting plans for the enterprise, which will also involve online and face-to-face networking opportunities masterminded by his partner in the new venture, Graham Roberts-Phelps, a prominent networker and social media expert. The site looks set to become a key resource for the local training community. Keep an eye on www.HertsTraining.nctd.co.uk to see what they’re up to.
FE Minister John Hayes said: “Further Education is the unheralded triumph of our education system. This research illustrates just how important it is to this country – our economy, society and individuals’ lives.” “That is why we are funding an unprecedented number of Apprenticeships and freeing colleges from unnecessary burdens. We are also helping employers, colleges and training providers to work together to boost skills through the £50 million Growth and Innovation Fund.” “All these reforms will ensure that economic contribution of FE will continue to rise in the years to come. However, employers need to do more to ensure that there are enough apprenticeships available, particularly for young people, who are finding getting jobs difficult in the present economic climate. Unions learning reps can play a role in acting as mentors for apprentices and negotiating quality training and decent pay with employers. We can work together to make our apprenticeships the best in the world.”