Training and development is an important aspect of many businesses.  It usually forms part of the strategic plan and budget and can be managed on a quarterly, half-yearly and annual basis.  Learning and development for your workforce can cover many areas from mandatory training and specific industry-related updates to bespoke learning and development packages to enhance the growth of your business.  As with all industries, there is an abundance of accredited and non-accredited training providers in every area offering a multitude of qualifications, options and prices.  Choosing the right training provider for your needs can be a daunting and challenging prospect for many business owners and leaders.   How can you ensure you will receive quality training for your workforce and value for money?  Read on to find out my top tips to help you with your options.

What do I need from a training provider?

Before looking for a training provider, first identify the reason you need one.  Are there industry-specific updates that are required?  Has your company started to grow and you need to invest in the learning and development of your team in a specific area to enable further growth?  Could you be at risk of losing staff because you are not developing and upskilling them?  Have you recently promoted staff from a technical role into a management role and they lack the necessary skills and confidence required to lead a team?

You may already have a list of reasons for needing a training provider or have completed a training needs analysis to help you identify your specific needs.  Once you have identified your why, you will be able to start narrowing down your search to a more specific area.

Identifying potential training providers

At this stage, you will probably have more idea of how a training provider could add value to your business and its training and development objectives.  The next task is to create a shortlist of possible providers.  There are several ways you can approach this.  Googling the type of training required is going to throw up a massive list of training providers.  Spend some time going into the websites and have a look around.  Consider the following points when identifying potential providers:

  • Is the website easy to navigate? Are there any links which lead to error messages?
  • Does the provider offer qualifications/courses in the areas you are looking for?
  • Are there any spelling mistakes on the website? While this may not seem like a big deal, it absolutely demonstrates attention to detail.  Remember – You get what you pay for!
  • Do they have any reviews and testimonials – do an internet search and see what you can find. If you are looking at a new training provider, do some research on the people as there may not be any online reviews available.
  • What contact information do they have on their website? Do they have a landline as well as mobile and email contact details?

Geographically there will be colleges offering many courses at every level and some large training providers offering similar options.  In addition, as with any industry, there will be smaller training providers offering training and development in niche areas.  As well as google searches, you could ask for recommendations for training providers from your contacts on networking sites, other industry-related contacts and maybe your staff.  Have they had a good experience at a previous employer regarding training?  Once you have looked through the websites, you should be in a position to compile a list of possibilities.

Narrowing down your search

Now you have a list of potential training providers, you can look at them in more detail and narrow your search further.  There has been a huge leap in online learning and development, particularly since March 2020 and many training providers offer ‘online at your own pace’ courses.  Others offer a blend of online, face to face and bespoke packages to meet the needs of your organisation and your workforce.  There is a large element of personal choice here – depending on the learning and development you are seeking; it may not matter where the provider is located.  It is important to note that externally accredited training providers are required to follow national guidelines and standards for the qualifications they deliver.

Some points to consider at this stage are what external accreditations does the training provider hold?  Do they offer nationally recognised qualifications?  Look for logos on the website and see who they are affiliated with.  Is the provider delivering the qualifications themselves, or are they a broker for a larger training organisation?

The narrowing down element may have thrown up many questions, which will be useful for the next stage of your search to find the best training provider to meet your learning and development needs.

Contacting potential providers

You may have your shortlist now and be ready to contact several providers.  How you do this is entirely your choice, although an email with a series of questions could be a good starting point.  Alternatively, have a list of questions ready if you are going to ring the training provider.  I have considered the types of questions I would ask if I was going to engage a training provider to deliver to my own team and these are outlined below:

Who are the tutors/trainers?

In the same way that you employ staff, you should apply some focus on the people who will potentially deliver training to your teams.  Are the tutors and trainers featured on the website?  If so, this can help with building your confidence with the suitability of the training provider.  What are their qualifications and how are they technically skilled to deliver the training?  A professional provider should provide this information without hesitation.   What teaching qualifications do they hold?  This is important to demonstrate the ability of the tutor to teach the required skills and knowledge.

Can they deliver what you are looking for?

At this early stage, the training provider should be offering to carry out a training needs analysis and arranging a more detailed conversation with you so they can establish your needs and assess if they are able to meet them, and how.  What methods does the provider use to deliver training currently?  Are they a face-to-face provider who has moved to an online platform or are they an ‘enrol and work at your own pace’ provider?

What would the programme of delivery look like?

When the provider is talking about a specific qualification, they should provide you with a course outline.  I would expect this to contain information about the content to be covered on the individual days, how it will be delivered, who will be delivering it, how long it is expected to take and the commitment required from you and your member of staff.  If you are investing your hard-earned cash into developing your team, you should find out exactly what you are getting for your investment.

How does the provider record progress, outcomes, and successes?

  • How many people are enrolled on a course at a time?
  • What are the class sizes?
  • How does the provider ensure the right people are enrolled on the right qualification or course?
  • How do they support the learners enrolled on their courses? Do they offer tutorial support?  Is this verbal or via email?
  • How do they cater and support additional learning needs?
  • How many people have enrolled on their courses and completed within suggested timescales? While I am not suggesting that a provider should produce reams of data, they should be able to talk freely about the people they have taught. If they tell you that everyone passes, this would raise alarm bells for me.  Nobody is perfect.

What is their Quality Assurance Process?

How does the provider measure the quality of their delivery? Do they have a process?  If so, what does it consist of.  A professional training provider should be happy to talk you through what they do.  These will differ from provider to provider, but if they are offering nationally recognised qualifications, there should be visible consistency as you talk to your narrowed down providers.  How do they ensure the continued professional development of their own team?  If they do not appear to invest in their own staff, how will they invest in yours?

Once you have had some conversations with a few providers and had more detailed information either through meeting or email exchange, you should be able to further narrow down your final shortlist of possible providers.  There is not a specific number for this, however my own rule of thumb is to always get 3 quotes!

Price of the training

As I mentioned earlier, I do believe that you get what you pay for.  You are ultimately looking for a solution for your business, so if a training provider is offering a price for something that seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Cheap training options are all over the internet, but what will this look like in reality?  Online ‘learn at your own pace’ may seem like a great idea, but when it comes to the crunch, who is going to be there to help when the learner gets stuck?  Who is going to motivate and encourage your team when they are sat at their laptop on an evening trying to conjure up enthusiasm to write an assignment?  The cost of this could be a partially completed qualification and stressed staff.

The price of training will vary from provider to provider, so it is important to know exactly what you are getting for your investment.  Ensure you have been given clarity in writing around this before moving forward with your provider of choice.  If a provider seems to be exceptionally cheap, they may be compromising on things like class sizes, experienced and qualified tutors, not supporting learners appropriately, facilities and equipment (where needed).

Making your choice

When you make your choice of training provider, you will have considered many points and questions, some of which are outlined below:

  • Can the provider meet the training needs of your business and have they clearly outlined how they will do this?
  • Has the potential provider been professional in their approach throughout the selection period?
  • Have you started to build rapport and establish trust prior to training starting?
  • Has the provider answered your questions and do you feel that they have developed a good understanding of your business and its needs?
  • Do you have a good perception that they are offering value for money (cheap does not necessarily mean good!)
  • Have you looked at their credentials and are they happy for you to contact other customers as a reference point?
  • Some new training providers may not have masses of reviews online, but if they can meet your company specific needs, they may bring a fresh approach and a quality service.

Once you have made your choice you should establish a service contract with the training provider and agree when the training will start.  The whole process of choosing the best training provider for your business may take a couple of weeks or longer, depending on what your initial aim is.

I hope this article has helped you in your quest to find the right training provider to meet your needs.  If you have enjoyed reading this article and would like to have a discussion with me regarding training providers, I am on LinkedIn or you can email me lucy@develerate.com and I will happily share my knowledge with you.