Training, as a management practice, is often viewed in polarized terms by decision-makers in organizations. On the one hand, it is seen as a panacea for all problems; on the other, it is viewed merely as a cost for the organization in terms of time and money. Certainly, training is a critical consideration that should be evaluated carefully to ensure it achieves its intended purpose. Ignoring training requirements leaves companies and organizations vulnerable to inefficiency, liability and possibly fatal consequences.

Recent Trends:

Five recent developments in employment law including compliance legislation, litigation, personal liability and high cost of training have conspired to make an already difficult situation get even more and less certain. In our 10 + years of serving the workforce development and e-learning technology needs of our clients, we have never seen a more complex, confusing and frankly scary landscape as we are seeing right now – when it comes to corporate compliance documentation.

Some of the most recent dangerous trends facing organizations and professionals like you include:

1. Overwhelming growth in Employment laws
2. Increasing Personal Liability of Professionals like you
3. Increasing Governmental/Legal Fines and Penalties
4. High Costs of Poor Training
5. Declining Competitive Advantage

Vendor selection is akin to a virtual minefield: One wrong step and you are a goner. Nevertheless, an organized, comprehensive selection process is exactly what is required. You can do this best if you develop a checklist so that you are certain that you have asked each potential vendor the same questions and are comparing oranges to oranges.

Download the e-learning systems vendor selection checklist free at www.eleapsoftware.com.

The use of sound planning techniques is probably the best first step to implementing an e-learning system. Good planning should reflect a strategy that is in line with your organization’s resources so you won’t be caught in the middle of an implementation without funds or personnel to finish.

Get free resources to implement your e-learning system. eLeaP has tremendous free e-learning resources.

Most learning organizations establish a strategic plan, often yearly, that addresses the objectives to support the organization in achieving its goals over the plan’s period.  Training is a Learning and Development function that supports the organization’s strategic objectives by filling the gaps in skills and knowledge required to achieve those objectives.  In order to do this effectively, we must first identify those gaps and then establish an operational strategy that aligns with the organization’s overall strategy.  Let’s examine some of the steps common to this process.

1. Assess what level of performance will be required to assist the organization in achieving its goals.  What skills or enhancement will we need to implement the organization’s strategic plan? For example, if the strategic plan calls for a reduction in the cost of the products we manufacture to better compete in the market, we would want to determine if our supply management team has the necessary ability to negotiate better pricing with existing suppliers or find new ones. An assessment would be our first objective.
2. Determine where gaps currently exist between the existing performance and the required performance.  Here we want to assess the skills and performance that we currently have against what we have established as required to accomplish the levels of performance needed by the organization. Benchmarking and determining best practices would be our second objective.
3. Establish a strategy to meet current and future needs. The challenge, then, is to determine how we are going to go from where we are currently to where we need to be at some future point. There are several possible strategies to consider:
   1. i.      Provide in-house, specialized training to the supply management group by hiring instructors who are experts in the subject matter. This training will be tailored to our precise needs. Since the training will be conducted at the organization’s facilities, no travel is required. Very little cross-pollination of ideas will take place considering all the trainees will be from the same organization.
   2. ii.      Locate educational resources with existing training programs in the subjects.  This training will address the common needs of the mixed group. Staff can attend at several specific times during a period but will likely have to travel.
   3. iii.      Develop an eLearning program for both self-study and instructor-led online training (blended learning). This training, too, can be tailored to our exact needs; however, it is delivered through a Learning Management System that can be accessed by the trainee at any time. (To better  understand the capabilities of this method, browse through the eLeaP website at www.eleapsoftware.com)

Download the complete white paper and get access to free training resources including: White Papers, Reports, & articles at http://www.eleapsoftware.com/free-training-resources/

Training can be defined as the process of teaching or learning a skill. That’s the textbook definition. But in reality, the concept of training has many more aspects than just learning a skill. To many organizations, training is a means of meeting regulatory or legal requirements. Common to this purpose, for example, is training employees in the rules of sexual harassment in the workplace. There are other examples, as well: Safety Training for employees working with industrial equipment to meet insurance requirements or training in the organization’s policy and procedures. There is management training, too. One of the programs we see quite frequently is Training for New Supervisors.

There’s no argument that compliance or certification training is very important…to the organization, to the individual, or both. But the questions that we hear again and again is this: “How does training add value to my organization? “Why should training and professional development be a part of our strategy?” “Where, exactly, is the return on the investment?”

Telania | eLeaP presents this free research white paper on “The Strategic Value of Workplace Training and Development”.  In this white paper, we examine the intended purpose of training including productivity, quality, empowerment, alignment, teamwork and, importantly, professional development.  We also examine how training supports reductions in liability and risk, and can be used to communicate business conduct and social responsibility requirements for the organization.

We then moved the discussion to ways of calculating value and increasing value through eLearning.  We followed this with a detailed look at developing strategies for training and development, along with some additional considerations in the development of training strategy.  We conclude this in-depth analysis with a section on how training can be used to empower employees.

Here’s what you’ll find covered in this White Paper:

* How does Training add Value to your Organization?

* Why should Training and Professional Development be part of your Strategy?

* Where, exactly, is the Return on your Investment and how do you Measure it?

* How to Increase Value Through eLearning

* How to Develop Strategies for Training and Development

To download this valuable research White Paper, go to http://www.eleapsoftware.com/free-training-resources/strategic-value-workplace-training.htm

Part 1:

Business training encompasses a wide variety of topics, from specific technical training to more general business practices such as customer relations, sales procedures and operational procedures. Training programs are designed to enable employees to deliver a more efficient and effective range of services, and for companies to keep pace in a cut throat corporate world. With businesses’ recent dependency on computer software and email, it is essential that all employees are computer literate.

The Internet has allowed for such training programs to be accessed and utilized with ease. Information Technology training, Management Training and a host of other subjects are all available online to help develop an individual’s skill set. Such interactive online learning programs are the perfect Corporate Training Software for organizations; one of the most advanced ones is the eLeaP™ Learning Management System. Pioneered by Don Weobong, President of eLeaP™, an increasing number of companies now rely on this e-learning platform for all of their corporate training needs.

What’s astonishing is the low cost of online e-learning systems compared with traditional corporate training programs. Traditionally, when a company wants to train its employees in a certain skill or trade, experts would need to be consulted, often at very high compensation rates; rates at $10,000 or more for a week of consultation are not uncommon. With new online Learning Management Systems such as eLeaP™, however, a company can easily start training its employees at as low as $125.

>> We will continue part 2 on our next posting.

Have you been tasked to create employee training? Do you need to deliver your solution like yesterday? eLeaP is throwing down the gauntlet!

Use the eLeaP training software and learning management system to create employee training in less than 30 minutes or its free for 60 days!

The process is very simple:

1. Create an eLeaP Account: Click here for free account
2. Build or upload your training courses (use your existing training if you want)
3. Deploy and track completion certification

Are you up for the challenge? Try the eLeaP 30 Minute Employee Training Challenge today!

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eLeaP Customer Service Team

Many businesses have had the unfortunate experience of having to defend themselves in court. From sexual harassment charges to employment discrimination and other workplace related liability issues, companies and organizations have to be prepared to provide a robust and vigorous defense of their practices.

Is your company prepared for liability lawsuits?

See how to protect your organization. Download our compliance training whitepaper.

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