When considering the many options available to you when it comes to employee development, the two instructor-led options come down to onsite or the public offering classes with other company employees in attendance. Onsite, or company-specific training, can be conducted either at the employer’s training facility or at another designated location. One of the benefits of onsite training is the cost savings due to having all of the employees in one place at the same time — eliminating travel costs.
Making sure that our training programs are tailored to the employers’ training needs is of paramount importance to us. The first assessment is done to see what the training needs and requirements are from the company’s perspective. Prior to the onsite training, the trainer follows up with the company to ensure that we are offering the training that the company desires. Company-specific training typically requires more planning, dialogue and coordination of schedules, but we find that the little bit of additional effort pays significant dividends.
There are many benefits of onsite training:
• The training can be scheduled when it is best for the organization from both a time-of-year and time-of-day standpoint.
• The materials and discussions can be patterned to meet the specific needs and objectives of the company and its employees.
• This training option assures that any sensitive company information is kept in-house while at the same time able to be freely discussed.
• It is easier for the material to be presented across departments, shifts and facilities at one time.
• A natural byproduct of such a workshop is that some element of team building for the participants will occur. It’s common that many participants will spend more time in a single workshop session than they may spend together in a month or even a year at work. Plus, the workshop provides a common experience for the participants.
Patty Welther is the manager of Member Engagement at the Manufacturer & Business Association. To learn more about the MBA’s in-house training or to tailor a program for a group, contact her at 814/833-3200, 800/815-2660 or pwelther@mbausa.org.
