It’s possible to make your ABET training work in a disruptive world.

When it comes to literacy and numeracy training, companies are often uncertain as to which option to utilise – face-to-face training or online training. There is however no right or wrong answer …

While COVID taught us to look at a range of options, the methods one is forced to implement in order to cope in extreme circumstances are not necessarily the most effective ways of doing things. Companies therefore made the best of what was available, but nothing can replace face-to-face training when it comes to teaching people literacy and numeracy skills. A good case can still however be made for online training.

While face-to-face training has indeed been the standard approach for decades, one has to also be practical. For example, if you’ve got a group of people in one geographical area that need to be trained, face-to-face is the way to go. But, in the case of employees who are scattered across remote locations, it’s just not feasible to have them travel long distances in order to attend training. The same applies in cases where there are only a few candidates in a particular company who need to be trained. It’s not worth a facilitator travelling long distances to be in the room with one or two people because it becomes too costly. That’s when the flexibility of online training provides a cost effective solution.

There are therefore pros and cons for each option, so one should be careful not to dismiss one option as unattractive or indeed consider it better than another option. It’s a case of determining which option will work best given one’s unique circumstances.

An experienced marketer facilitator can lead you through the options so that you pick whatever is best for you in terms of the geography and practicalities of location, as well as the relevant costs. An ethical and responsible training provider will readily advise their clients as to the most economical option rather than simply try to make as much money as possible. They recognise that that is very short sighted.

In the case of online training, it’s important that it be conducted live rather than delivered as a pre-recorded programme. That will ensure that it’s still interactive and the facilitator has a much better chance of imparting the necessary skills to the candidates and helping and correcting them where necessary.

Pre-recorded classes provide a much greater temptation for candidates to be distracted or to leave the recording to run while attending to other tasks or even leave the room to attend to other matters when no-one is monitoring their participation. That greatly diminishes the effectiveness of the training.

When facilitators create an enjoyable learning experience, participants are much more likely to engage with the training and minimise distractions, as they will be more inclined to focus on the enjoyable experience. Facilitators can encourage those who are parents training at home to ensure their children are suitably occupied so they won’t be too great a distraction.

There is a much higher level of fear in an online session where people aren’t able to “read the room” or are possibly uncomfortable with the technology. With a facilitator who puts people at ease, participants are inclined to relax. This is important as fear shuts down the higher functions of the brain, making learning a lot more difficult, if not impossible. Making the training session fun may seem frivolous but is very important. When people are having fun, their learning is enhanced because they relax, focus and embrace what they’re learning.

Dull, boring facilitators with no sense of humour have no place in either a live or online training session!

Marinda Clack is an Expert Training and Development Advisor at Triple E Training.