Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 37

Find out what their most urgent needs are,
as well as what kind of budget they have,
and show them what you can do for them.
Build a business case that shows them
how a PD program can help them with
their training gaps now and in the future.
PARTNERSHIP
CONSIDERATIONS
The next step is finding the right training
for the team you're supporting, whether
that means using external or internal
providers. When determining which
you should use, consider the following:
External providers are best when you
have generic needs (i.e., accounting skills).
They are also best when you need training
quickly, and have a healthy budget.
Consider partnering with local universities,
colleges or other academic institutions.
You could also bring in a facilitator from a
recognized institution. There are also
some cost-efficient external providers.
Consider using MOOCs (massive open
online courses), as well as training that is
available directly from software providers.
These courses are often free or available
at a low cost. It's important to work with an
internal subject matter expert to curate any
courses you find. With so many different
providers, as well as the varying quality of
content, you'll need to make sure that the
courses chosen are the best fit for their
specific needs. Over time, you'll be able to
create a list of preferred external partners
that meets the needs of your organization.
On the other hand, you may decide
that internal training is the way to go.
Creating training internally is best when
you have content that is specific for your
organization and you have subject matter
experts that have the time and expertise
to partner with you. Not only will you
need them to help co-create the content,
but you'll need their help with facilitating
it as well. For some companies, this is
too much of a strain on their resources.
There are some resource-efficient ways
to come up with internal content suitable
for professional development as well.
For example, you could start a
community of practice where you have
a group of professionals (like data
analysts) meet regularly to teach each
other and share best practices. If you
record the training, the videos can live
on your learning management system
(LMS) for future development. Whether
you choose external or internal training,
or a hybrid of the two, you'll be able to
start upskilling your company's teams.
UTILIZING AN LMS
Speaking of your LMS, it can be a great
tool to help you organize, assign and
track the training you've created or
curated. Not only can you create clear
pathways that will guide people through
the courses they'll need to take, but it will
also help with reporting on key training
metrics to share with leaders. Consider
using
your LMS even
for
external
courses by creating a " shell " in your
LMS that houses instructions on how to
access the external training with a direct
link. Your learners will appreciate having
one place to access all their training.
MARKET YOUR TRAINING
Finally, think about how you'll
communicate and market your PD
program. How will learners know what
training is available to them, and how
will leaders know how you've been able
to support them? You might consider
creating an online catalog for your
learners. Employees can view which
courses are available, how to access
them and if they need approvals.
Having an online resource makes it easy
to quickly update and provide links to
WHERE TO START
When starting a professional development program consider the following:
⊲ Research the benefits.
⊲ Utilize your LMS.
⊲ Communicate and market
your courses and programs.
⊲ Start small and partner with a
department that needs the most help.
⊲ Determine if you should use external
training providers or create your
own training.
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
| 37
courses, support or approval forms. New
or updated courses can be communicated
through your company's intranet or
newsletters. When communicating to
leaders, consider doing a monthly or
quarterly update to show them what's
new, how many people are taking courses
and what's coming. Use data whenever
possible to help highlight increased
retention or employee engagement.
It can also be powerful to get a few
soundbites from learners who have
recently graduated from a program or
course. Having someone say they are so
appreciative of your company because
of their development opportunity can
speak volumes about the impact your PD
program is having.
Starting down the journey of creating
a PD program can sometimes feel
daunting. Hopefully, these tips will
help you think through some of the
strategic decisions that will help your
program be successful, and help your
organization have the skills it needs
now and in the future.
Marjorie Van Roon, CPTM, is the senior
manager of learning and development
for Best Buy Canada Ltd. Marjorie and
her team lead the L&D function for 10,000
Best Buy employees across Canada in
over 130 stores, their head office and
distribution centers. Email Marjorie.
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Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

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