Workforce training and development, during and after COVID-19

Why a cost-effective training plan is more important then ever...

Businesses around the world have been forced into hitting the pause button on critical workplace learning due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless of industry, the majority of companies are taking a hit financially with a significant decline in footfall, redundancies, and emotional challenges. The improvement and development of any company’s biggest asset, in employees, has been the hardest-hit business activity. 

However, the issue of continuous learning is essential and businesses simply cannot afford to further damage their future prospects by neglecting workplace learning.

To continue developing your team within these uncertain times, a strategic training plan with alternative methods must be explored.

This article takes you through four key stages that must be a focus when developing an effective programme...

cost-effective training plan

Training plan key stages

Identify the employee needs

The first step in developing your training programme is finding out what needs to be worked on. Whether you are looking to develop specific skills in relation to each individual employee or addressing a company wide issue (e.g. Mental Health), you must clearly understand your company's training needs.

• Is your aim to improve the level of productivity at work?
• Increase engagement and employee motivation? (Crucial during Covid-19 due to Mental Health implications)
• New Skills to market and support a new product/service?

Don't try to guess what your employee's needs are, instead engage with your team to identify the answers to the above questions. Depending on where your organisation stands, industry and identified areas in need of improvement, you must find resources from a learning provider that can offer training to meet your niche demands. Ideally a training provider with a wide range of resources, we have a recommendation at the end of this article.

Determine what resources you have access to

With the current climate dictating the financial budget company's have at their disposal, it is crucial you be as efficient as possible to utilise the resources available to fund your training programme. Can you afford to introduce external training experts to create a bespoke training plan for your organisation...is that monetory investment worth the risk during these uncertain times?

These are questions you must answer in relation to the current condition of your business. If the answers are no or the risk involved is too high, have you considered utilisng your in-house resources and potentially creating the training content and material yourself? Of course, that is an entirely different type of investment, time and knowledge. Time in itself is limited and with the added pressures of Covid, will you be able to find the time to build your own training content?

All of the above difficulties, due to the impact of Covid-19, means you must be more creative and locate better resources in order to fulfil your training needs. Regardless of the shorter budget or time limits, you cannot shy away from nurturing talent, increasing staff productivity and engagement. We believe we have a solution to all of the above concerns in regards to limited resources, be sure to check out the end of the article.

Integrate flexibility

Being able to fit in the time for training and development around an employee's schedule has always proven to be difficult. With the added challenge of employees working from home, integrating flexibility into your training programme becomes absolutey essential.

With limitations in how training can be delivered, you must again carefully consider what delivery options suit your business best. With the introduction of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, is facetime training suitable for your team? From internet issues to household commitments, training via these channels to large groups of employees at the same time can also prove difficult.

Our recommendation surrounds Distance Learning courses, where the member of staff is control of when they learn without any barriers. Being able to manage household commitments and learn all simulationely can be a massive advantage during these unprecedented times.

Track employee progress

Data is king. Understanding how your employees respond to training is a key feature of your learning programme. Not only to further improve the programme, but to interpret which areas of your business needs further focus. Reluctant learners are often found across any business, identifying who these are and addressing them with motivational tactics can be key in effectively delivering training.

Working with a training provider that provides consistent reports is essential to continue to the development of your organisation.

Four ways a Free Training Website will help

All four stages in developing a training plan during COVID-19 come alongside a number of challenges, our “Free Training Website” initiative removes these difficulties by supporting business recovery through a fully funded custom training website, hosting a variety of distance learning online courses.

1. Over 50 online courses

With over 50 online courses to choose from, your team are likely to find a relevant course no matter the subject of interest or industry. You can pre-choose which courses your training website hosts or offer the entire list letting your employees select the subject that is most applicable to them.

2. Save on extensive training costs

Every course is fully funded, meaning you can save extensive training costs during COVID-19. Whether that is through the result of increased engagement, cutting training costs or employee retention, your company will no doubt benefit financially through free E-Learning. Estimated employee replacement costs can be 150% of the worker's annual salary, we therefore offer the solution of upskilling for FREE.

3. Tailored to your company’s schedule

You and your staff are in control when learning with us due to the flexibility surrounding E-learning and the ample amount of time arranged to complete the online courses. From the LinkedIn Learning survey, 58% of employees prefer opportunities that allow learning at their own pace; therefore, our courses are available at any time across multiple devices.

4. Monthly reports

We appreciate the importance of analytics and reporting, especially within a training environment. Figures and updates on enrolments, learners and courses will be shared with you on a regular basis. You can utilise these reports to analyse which subject areas need more of a focus or represent your willingness to help support your employees and community. Showing your ambition to help share education and upskill those around you could be a major factor in developing your brand.
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