Most Popular Course of the Month – Train the Trainer

A post from our Training and Coaching blog

We monitor the number of courses scheduled on a monthly basis as well as the number of delegates getting booked onto each course. We can tell you which one proved to be the most popular course each month.

A subject like Excel in general is extremely popular. Due to the different versions that we track separately, it has two courses which are in the top 5 but it isn't the most popular of all our courses.

What people find quite intriguing is the course which is our most popular. This month, it's the turn of Train the Trainer. However, is this just an anomaly? The answer is no because it is always popular.

What makes Train the Trainer a widely chosen subject?

While there are a number of private delegates that complete this training as they want to have a career as a trainer, the vast majority of bookings are from organizations that wish to have their own internal trainers. This can often be the most cost-effective option when looking at staff training. In some cases, it's the only option. Let's take a look at some of the situations that benefit most from training internally.



The first scenario is for company specific training e.g. product knowledge on your own products. The widget that you produce might be quite technical. Some companies offer training to its own staff on how the product works while others provide courses to their actual clients that have bought their products.

Another example could be Induction Training. More surprisingly, you get some situations when you might think a trainer isn't needed - having somebody who knows how to train properly would certainly help. An example of the aforementioned is a hospital. I am sure that you might have seen any number of hospital-based television programmes where a senior surgeon or physician is doing rounds with a large group of students following them (think of Scrubs with JD and Elliot not far behind Dr Kelso). While errors can be the basis for excellent comedy, the reality is that the hospital would prefer the surgeon to be able to train others. However, would their medical training have prepared them for this situation? The answer is probably not. Hospitals often have some Train the Trainer courses given for these staff.

The second scenario is when needs are changed for different delegates. Although on the job training immensely helps individuals with their requirements, somebody that knows what they are doing should be responsible for administering training because they can get the best results. If a trainer is jumping from one section to another without any sort of agenda, delegates will more than likely struggle. Again, it might not seem like formal training but having somebody that knows what they are doing is going to get the best results in each of these situations.

The third scenario is when delegate availability is unpredictable or limited at best. Most training companies would not be able to cancel training at the last second without some sort of implications. So, when possible changes are likely, it is often a good idea to run it internally. That way, if you need to postpone training at the last minute, you can use your internal resource for something else on that day and not incur any costs.

If you are going to run courses internally, it pays to have knowledgeable people on hand in order to prepare and run the sessions. You might have a fantastic IT person that can show others how to use packages like MS Office but do they know how to prepare for it? Or will they ad lib?

Perhaps you have a person that has to design the content of a training programme for the first time? They might be happy to stand in front of people and train but do they know how to design content? Can they set objectives so that you know what should be achieved from training? If you are delivering training to your clients, don't you want to have somebody that comes across as professional?



Here at ZandaX, many courses provide essential information for those who will be involved with training individuals. Train the Trainer Essentials teaches delegates all they need to know about the many effective ways in how their own students can be taught information in an engaging way. Also ran by ZandaX is Delivering a Great Training Session. Identifying how visual aids can be successfully incorporated into a training course, delegates will also learn how to deal with difficult situations.

ZandaX also run Being an Effective Trainer. Identifying the traits of a successful trainer, Being an Effective Trainer can improve delegate's skills in presentation, listening and questioning. Another Train the Trainer session is also ran by ZandaX as well and it is called Developing a Training Programme. Identifying when a training need arises at a company, this course will determine how an effective training course can be set up and implemented.

The aforementioned are the main reasons which explain why companies send staff on Train the Trainer courses. Their objectives are not to outsource but to make the most of what they are keeping in-house. Therefore, are you making the most of your resources?

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