Assess and confirm the need for training
Delivering a Training Session
As you will discover there is more to delivering a training session than just reading through your training plan and your session notes.
It is important to understand and accept that while you have certain skills, knowledge and experience, so does your learner. You should be aware of their existing skills and what their individual needs are.
Effective Communication
As a learner you want to know whether the trainer will listen to you, respect what you have to say, as well as worrying about whether you have learnt anything. Remember the people you train will be asking themselves similar things. A successful training session has two-way communication.
| It is your responsibility as the trainer to impart knowledge and skills to the participants, and the only way that will occur is by communicating with the participant(s). |  |
The National Training Authority, states that Communication involves the following:
- The sender - The person instigating the communication
- The message - The information being transferred
- The method - The method/s being used to transfer the message
- The receiver - The receiver of the message
- The response - The response of the receiver to the message
- Barriers - Those things that interfere with the message
- Environment - The setting in which the communication takes place (NTA, 1999 p.(407) 3.3)
Training is not just one way communication from trainer to the participant. It also involves the participant conveying information to the trainer and their peers. Communications that involve everyone encourages and fosters learning to take place.
Adult Learners
As a trainer your primary task is to train and assess in the workplace. As the people you train are adults, you must have some first hand knowledge of the participants’ characteristics and how they learn best.
See ‘Considering Staff Training?’ for further information about adult learners.
Facilitating Learning
As a trainer you need to understand how best to guide the learner towards the training outcomes, so you must create an environment that will encourage learning to take place.
The National Training Authority, provides some strategies and techniques to create an appropriate learning environment. They are:
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Active listening |
Speak clearly and listen actively. By actively listening you, the trainer, can gauge how well the training session is going. |
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Targeting questions |
Asking specific questions during a training session will promote interaction, and reinforce the information given |
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Points of clarification |
As new information is given to participants throughout a training session, clarify each point and plan time for questions. |
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Group discussion |
This is a powerful strategy. Group discussions provide opportunities to exchange and express ideas about a specific topic amongst themselves. |
Creating a comfortable environment
As the trainer, whether working with an individual or a group, it is up to you to create the environment that trainees feel comfortable in.
In a group training session, the trainer has to work hard so the trainees will feel comfortable enough to learn, as well as co-operate with each other. Sometimes working in small groups helps. People are more likely to speak up when there are only two or three people because they don’t feel threatened.
You need to develop a balance between encouraging people to communicate with you and with each other while ensuring that the trainees get what they need from the training.
Eye contact is a powerful tool to ensure that trainees feel involved and comfortable - talk to everyone by maintaining eye contact with them throughout the session. Keep your voice calm and ensure your language is appropriate for your group. Make sure the trainees can hear you.
In terms of the training environment, a number of factors should be considered that will be:
- Conducive to learning
- Safe and accessible
- Comfortable for the participants
The National Training Authority suggests the following considerations of the learning environment:
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