What Is Training of Trainers, and What Are Its Advantages?

What is the Training of Trainers model?

Training of Trainers initiatives can be training programs that provide experienced trainers with the skills to deliver content, such as new methods or new sales programs, or they can be professional development offers that teach coaching and facilitation skills to people who are new to the field of training, or to specialized experts who are assigned to train others about a content in their areas of expertise.

Why is the Training of Trainers important?

Research indicates that the life span of skills may be five years or less. We are in an almost continuous cycle of developing and refining the workforce's skills. Therefore, Training of Trainers' programs equip trainers and instructional designers with the skills to deliver the best learning experience for employees.

Learning and development professionals must keep their knowledge and skills up to date to keep in touch with the latest updates and ensure their work has the desired impact.

Giving employees effective and engaging training is an art and a science. It is not just about having someone in the training class to facilitate or show you how to do something. Training is a process that begins long before the course itself and extends beyond its end.

One of the key factors for the success of a Training of Trainer program is choosing the right person to be a facilitator. This person should not only be an expert in the content and design of the training, rather they must be respected, experienced, patient, and enthusiastic.

Training facilitators also require strong leadership skills, exceptional listening and communication skills, and emotional intelligence.

In addition to these personal skills and objective expertise, trainers must understand adult learning principles and the ability to engage learners. In Training of Trainers workshops, participants learn various training methods and the best practices and activities from a certified trainer, which they can use to help the people they train understand and retain information.

Participants in the Training of Trainers course may also receive information about ways to harness technology that is so important in how we work and learn today.

To achieve the desired impact during the Training of Trainers program, trainers will design a course related to the material that interests the learner. However, behavior change is not limited to the learner, as the ecosystem in which the learner operates is also a factor in behavior change.

The manager must be a supportive person and ensure that there is an opportunity to practice what the participant learns. In addition, the trainer must understand why the training affects the organization's work.

What are the advantages of the Training of Trainers program?

The Training of Trainers model increases the training capacity of the organization, and it can save the money provided for external trainers. It increases the skills of the organization's employees quickly, leading to training continuity. In addition, it enhances learning from peers.

Finally, the skilled internal trainer understands the organization's culture and the potential obstacles the learner may encounter when trying to practice the new learning on the job.

For an experienced trainer with initial experience and a cadre of other trainers, they can use the available time to act as a business advisor on the development needs of other departments, thereby adding value to the entire organization.

Participation in a Training of Trainers program is also an ongoing goal for some employees, which helps them share information about a topic they love. It can also serve as a resource after the training for the participant or the manager, by providing guidance on how to put learning into action, like through a learning plan.

To develop a Training of Trainers program, it is important to consider what the learner needs to know to improve performance on the job, meaning technical expertise and personal skills. The training of Trainers course consists of four steps that trainers can use to prepare and facilitate:

• Goal and evaluation.
• Planning and preparation.
• Presentation and facilitation.
• Performance and evaluation.

The goal and evaluation are to understand why training is needed and how it relates to the organization. This happens through a needs assessment. During this phase, the trainer will also decide how they will measure success after the training.

That is, are the learning goals met? Do the learners acquire the skills applied on the job? According to the talent development model, knowledge of the curricula and methods of needs assessment is part of the knowledge and skills of instructional design in professional capacity development.

Planning and preparation allow the trainers to understand the material they are discussing in the course fully. Having this much knowledge gives you the confidence of the participants. This stage also means understanding the progress of the program and the activities planned for the course:

• Do you have enough time to cover all the items?
• Will the item as presented be in a logical sequence for the learners? Are there appropriate transitions between department items?
• Do you know when you will take breaks?
• Are activities timed to keep learners engaged, motivated, and moving to avoid stagnation during the afternoon?

In addition, planning and preparation include the logistical elements of the course, such as preparing training classes, food, and drinks if appropriate, as well as providing additional space for separate activities, and ensuring that all requirements of the participants are met.

For online courses, consider sub-rooms, whether participant assistance is needed with the used technology, and accessibility to the course like having instructions.

The presentation and facilitation phase relates to your training methods. Will learners understand your stories and references? If some of the participants are not native speakers of the language in which you are giving the training, they will not understand the content you are using to make your point.

Can you manage a participant who does not want to learn and who is disrupting others' learning? Will the learners enjoy the small team activities? Is it better to benefit from a self-meditation activity? Are you facilitating in a mixed environment where some people are in a training class, and others are online? You must engage and energize participants and understand the content you cover.

In the performance and evaluation stage, you determine whether your work is successful. This is due to the goal and the evaluation stage, as you have defined what it would look like to complete the course successfully. What data or thoughts must you collect to determine if you have achieved this?

Even experienced trainers can benefit from having a written plan for their course, which they can check and review during the event.

Using Training of Trainers to prepare for tomorrow

Research shows that well-run training and development programs are associated with higher employee engagement and retention levels. Job candidates who look for good employers say that learning opportunities are an advantage they value a lot.

Research shows that high-performing organizations are likely to invest more in the Training of Trainers and the coaching function. Training of Trainers programs can be an incentive for organizations not only to extend the field of their work but also to improve the effectiveness of the learning and development function greatly.