The timetable for the course will be constructed in such a way as to be as effective as possible without being too long. The team leaders will not want to sit for hours at a time listening to lectures, as this may become boring. Attention spans must also be taken into account, to ensure that as much information as possible is absorbed and understood. (See appendix for timetable details)
Location: It is necessary to locate the course in the most convenient location for all of the team leaders. As the team leaders are likely to work in different parts of the country, it was deemed appropriate to situate the course in a central location so that the average traveling time for the trainers would be as short as possible. It was also considered suitable to place the trainers in a hotel from the Sunday before the start of the training course, both to give the team leaders time to settle in and also avoid a long traveling period on the Monday morning. The trainees would then be able to leave on the evening of the last day (Friday) or the morning of the Saturday after the course. The meeting room in the hotel will also be used as the classroom for the course.
Duration: The duration of the course needs to be decided based upon the facts that firstly, the course must fulfill all of the training requirements and secondly, that it takes up as little of the team leaders’ time as possible. For this reason it was decided that the course would run over five working days – from Monday to Friday. Cost: The cost of the course will be based on a daily rate for the HR personnel involved of �90 per day. Traveling expenses for the HR personnel and the trainees will be paid for by the company, as will hotel bills for all concerned. In order to keep costs to a minimum, the course will be run at the hotel as mentioned.
Beardwell et al (2004d) state that careful use of training methods can be a very cost-effective investment in the sense of using the appropriate method for the needs of a person or group. However, many commentators have mentioned that organisations often use inappropriate methods, which can be both costly and time consuming and bring very little improvement in the performance of the employee. So the correct and appropriate methods are very important for the organisation. In general, training can be divided into on-the job and off-the job methods.
On-the-job training On-the-job training is probably the most common approach, however, on-the-job training was deemed inappropriate for this course as the logistical implications would be prohibitive in terms of cost and organisation. Off-the-job training Off-the-job training is necessary to get people away from the hustle and bustle of the work environment. This enables the trainee to study theoretical information or be exposed to new and innovative ideas. Beardwell et al (2004e) suggest that there are several different training methods which can be used in off-the-job training. Lectures are suitable when a large amount of information needs to be given to a large number of people at the same time, but one disadvantage of this method is that there may be a lack of audience participation during the lecture.
Role playing can enable trainees to face the working situation before they experience the reality. They are given a problem or situation to deal with which would be similar to a situation that they might experience at work. They can practice their responses and receive help and support from the trainer and from others in the group. Group discussion can lead to the free exchange of knowledge, ideas and opinions on a particular subject among the trainees and the trainer with the opportunity to gain and share the information. It can be useful when there are varying opinions about an issue, or a range of ways in which a situation could be handled. However, there may be difficulties if trainees are embarrassed to play roles.
Case studies provide the opportunity to examine a situation in detail while removed from the pressures of the real work situation. This allows for discussion and provides opportunities to exchange ideas and consider different opinions. Since a case study can limit the number of factors or issues that should be discussed, it may sometimes seems too easy and trainees may not fully appreciate that in the real- life situation there may be other more complex issues to take in to account. All of the above methods have been utilised in the course in order to make the course as varied, interesting and interactive as possible and fulfil the objectives of the designers and purchasers.
