Having been immersed in the industry for an extended period and facilitating the Train-the-Trainer programme, the question often arises…
“Does initiating such a programme not pose a potential risk? It’s like creating potential competitions in the same industry is it not?”
This depends on each and everyone’s opinion. But if your perspective is the opposite, then this could actually lift the bar for training standards across the country. However, there’s a big responsibility especially for approved Master Trainers and the Training Providers.
In the past, there have been grumbles in the industry about ‘celebrity speakers’ getting more for their training sessions than lesser-known trainers. And these trainers end up compromising their expertise just to grab every little opportunity they can get in the market.
Employers aren’t happy either – they think some trainers are just recycling stuff as in “copy and paste” information from the internet. Old-school “print out slides” used as training materials are still going around, which does not help and often lacks goals for improvement. And also, there’s no “pre-post tests” or post training reports, making it tough for employers aiming to meet ISO standards.
While trainers face their own set of challenges, when it comes to participants on the other hand, there’s a distinct issue. Some merely go for training to just occupy seats without undergoing a clear Training Needs Analysis (TNA).
Fixing all this needs teamwork. We, as Training Providers, need trainers who get – why lifting the quality of training is crucial. This teamwork is all about making training better everywhere, making life better for everyone and supporting the growth of knowledge-based workers. It’s not about sitting around complaining but actively joining in this transformative journey.
So, at the end of the day, it really depends on you on how you see things. Do you still want to compete with your so-called ‘competitors’ or would you prefer to see it as having many associates with different areas of expertise?