Online training the answer says UK consultant

In times of financial turmoil, organisations often look upon training as a soft target and so it becomes one of the first budgets to be reduced or even cut completely. Yet this can prove a false economy, warns the UK-based consultancy, Echelon.

’While training should take its fair share of budget cuts, failure to develop staff hits competence, motivation, productivity and, ultimately, customer service and profitability - just at the time when finding and keeping customers is vital,’ explained Echelon's CEO, Alistair Morrison.

’When everyone else is following the traditional line of reducing training spend, it's important to gain competitive advantage by maintaining your investment in people and performance,’ he added. ‘However, this can now be done at a significantly lower cost.’

Morrison argues that traditional classroom-based training alone is both expensive and time-consuming - commodities that are likely to be in short supply for the foreseeable future.

Morrison added: ‘for many subjects, this can be replaced with equally educationally effective but lower-cost interactive, online learning. Text-based and fully featured e learning further reduces costs and administrative overheads.

’Text is a familiar medium to learners and, with proper pedagogical design, is a dynamic and engaging form of study.

’A wide range of interactive devices can be incorporated to make the learning fully immersive, together with self-assessment to reinforce study and provide evidence of understanding and progress. The addition of graphics, audio and video elements can be achieved economically where their use is essential for the learning design.’

’Well-designed text-based learning delivers knowledge and skills efficiently and can be deployed quickly - which is another bonus in times of rapid change,’ he said. ‘So, rather than follow “conventional wisdom” of only developing staff when times are good, Echelon firmly recommends that organisations invest wisely now to capture new customers and retain employee and customer loyalty.

’Moreover, this should give your organisation a head start when the economy revives - and provide a competitive edge when you most need it,’ Morrison concluded.

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