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Northeast Training Group, Inc. is a
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Inside Education & Training:
Training challenges in tough economic times
January 2, 2009

In the short time between writing this article and having it printed, the Dow Jones Industrial Average could move as low as 6,500 or as high as 10,000. In any case however, it certainly will be nowhere near where it was just one year ago.

Layoffs and downsizing are now prevalent, and companies are looking for ways to cut costs. As we all know, when budgets are cut, one of the first things to go is training, particularly training in soft skills. These soft skills include leadership development, management training and first-line supervisory training. It also means cuts in training in areas such as communication, negotiation, presentation and writing.

Additionally, companies are now less willing to allow their employees to travel to take classes. Lastly, technical training is also being reduced because companies are not upgrading their hardware and software.

The challenges are: "What can companies do to get the biggest bang for the buck?" "How can companies continue to groom their people?" and "How can companies to do more with less?"

There are a number of ways to be economical, but still train, educate and motivate your employees. Although instructor-led training is the best way for most people to learn, it is also the most expensive.

If you can't afford the cost of instructor-led training, the following books in the area of leadership, management and first-line supervisory training are recommended: The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner; Good to Great by Jim Collins, and Manager Mechanics: Skills for First Time Managers by Eric Bloom. Books in other soft-skill areas include Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William L. Ury, and Point, and Click and Wow by Claudyne Wilder and Jennifer Rotondo.

To lower the costs for the instructor-led training, some reading can be done ahead of time to shorten class length. Other economical training tricks are to send one person to a class and have that person train others. Also on-the-job training, mentoring, and shadowing are ways to motivate and train employees.

E-learning is another way to minimize costs. E-learning is done either on the Internet or by CD-ROM. Additionally, some variations of distance learning incorporate traditional media. Other types of e-learning include; purely online (no face-to-face meetings), blended learning (combination of online and face-to-face), synchronous, asynchronous, instructor-led group, self-study, self-study with subject expert, web-based, computer-based (CD-ROM), and video/audio tape.

Talk to your training vendors. They may be able to come up with solutions that are a "win-win" for both you and the vendor. Maybe they can combine your small class with another small class to fill up the empty seats. Maybe you can host a class in return for free seats. Another way of finding dollars for training is through grants from your state. Some states offer dollars if you use in-state training firms.

There are several reasons to continue investing in your employees. To begin, we all want to retain our most valued employees, and training is one way to help keep them motivated. Your employees are the link to your clients and customers, whether they are internal or external.

In addition, when the economy turns around, you will want to be ready to quickly step into high gear. A well-trained staff will be in a position to do so.

Creativeness and out-of-the-box thinking will help maximize the effectiveness of your scarce training dollars. Different types of learning, blended learning options, and talking with your vendors to form creative solutions are a few of the ways to stretch your dollars.

Susan J. Goldberg is president of Northeast Training Group Inc., an instructor-led training company in Chestnut Hill. She can be reached at sgoldberg@northeasttraininggroup.com.