subject: There are lots of good reasons for choosing a computer training supplier - here are five bad ones [print this page] There are lots of good reasons for choosing a computer training supplier - here are five bad ones
Choosing a supplier of computer training is like choosing a plumber, or builder, or any other service provider.There's a huge choice of computer training companies out there, and no easy way of knowing which ones are good and which ones to avoid.
If an employee approaches you with a request for training, here are five things to watch out for. This is the first of a two-article series; the other article in the series considers 5 good reasons for choosing a computer training company.
1 - Nepotism
Someone in your company will always have a brother who works in IT, or a sister who works as a freelance trainer. Avoid these people like the plague! It's perfectly possible that they provide exemplary computer training, but it's far more likely that they don't. You should choose your provider of IT training from as wide a pool as possible, and artificially restricting it to companies run by your secretary's brother's friend's wife isn't a good idea.
2 - Bribery
Bribery doesn't have to be obvious. Some of training companies offer shopping vouchers if you book a course, or freebies way in excess of the usual pad and pen. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with this, but you have to wonder a) who's ultimately paying for the free gifts and b) whether your staff are in a good position to make an independent choice. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and no such thing as a free coffee cup or shopping voucher either.
3 - Meanness
In computer training, as in so many areas of life, you get - by and large - what you pay for. If a course costs 200 for a day's training for 6 people, you have to ask how much the trainer is earning. Deduct at least 100 for materials, overheads, travel and expenses, and you've got a trainer who (at a realistic maximum utilisation rate of 50%, allowing for constant learning of new courses)is earning well under 15k per year. Don't choose the most expensive, by all means - but if you choose someone who's cheap as chips, don't be surprised when they have the teaching ability or product knowledge of a haddock.
4 - Search Engine Placement
There's nothing wrong per se with a company which comes number one in Google for the search phrase "computer training" - just don't make that the be-all-and-end-all of your purchasing decision. There are many factors which computer training companies use to get high rankings in Google, and few of them have anything to do with their ability to provide high-quality training.
5 Ultimate Flexibility
Be wary of companies who are completely flexible. If Tommy's Training promises to provide advanced SQL training at two days' notice, then either it's chronically short of work or it's going to scour the market trying to find a freelance trainer usually any freelance trainer who can meet the need. Good training companies have a typical order book of a month's training, and have all of their staff committed in the very short term.
So that's it five really bad reasons to book IT training. So when Sally from Sales asks you to sign off a purchase order for a cheap computer course run by her aunt's cousin (with an additional 10 M&S voucher thrown in), to run the next day, it's time to start doing some research of your own. This could include turning to the other part of this article, listing 5 good reasons for choosing a computer training company.
