Colin Steed

It's the duty of every Training Manager of any organisation to ensure that the quality of all of its training is performed, assessed and monitored to the recognised National Standards on the National Qualifications Framework, that the learners actually acquire a sound learning experience and that the learning acquired is able to be applied to the learner’s workplace. Additionally, the organisation must ensure that the training is delivered and maintained to the highest level and that it is consistent across the organisation.

To facilitate this, it is imperative that each trainer is assessed in a live environment on a regular basis and that each assessment conforms to nationally-recognised standards, is maintained and governed externally and independently, and is then linked to each candidate’s continual professional development. This also can, and should, be linked to the individual’s Appraisal process.

I strongly believe that in the past organisations have relied on trainers attending train the trainer courses and obtaining a certification to feel comfortable that their training staff are performing to quality standards.

But I contend that this is not a true way to judge quality of performance - the only way to do that is to see the trainer in the workplace through a regular, live, indepently governed assessment.

In this way, the Training Manager can ensure that every one of its training professionals:

• Facilitates/delivers learning to the National Standards benchmark
• Receives objective guidance on potential improvement and developmental activity which should link to individual’s appraisals
•  Receives an objective benchmark to monitor the performance and quality of all trainers and the learning for all employees.
• Achieves a nationally-recognised, portable, Level 3 /4 qualification on the National Qualificatons Framework
• Achieves professional membership of the Institute of IT Training with designatory letters after their name.