Astute employers know that an integral part of what helps a business transition from good to great comes down to the organisation’s staff. They also know that ongoing education in the form of training is an essential part of encouraging and empowering employees to fulfil their potential. The challenge lies in identifying the best possible training provider that ticks all the most important boxes.The first step in the selection process is pinpointing what criteria to measure the options against.
To that end, here are five key things to consider when selecting a training provider to ensure you get the best value for your company and staff.
All-important accreditation: in New Zealand, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is the country’s quality assurance system for non-university tertiary education organisations. When a tertiary education provider has the NZQA seal of approval, users of this service can feel confident in the knowledge they are studying with a Government sanctioned, certified organisation; one that is recognised and valued and held to account when it comes to its performance and capability.
The right price: value for money is a no-brainer when it comes to selecting a training provider. This value is realised through the quality of the education provided, but also through the institution’s qualifying status for student subsidies like the recently announced Labour Government initiative ‘free fees’. All New Zealanders, regardless of age, who have completed less than half a full-time year of post-school education or training, will meet the eligibility criteria to study for free in 2018. Free fees is a great coup for students and companies alike.
Flexible structure: in the busy world we live in, flexibility has become a rare and extremely valuable commodity. Time poverty is ubiquitous and for employees seeking to upskill, the opportunity to study around work and personal life is all-important, so finding a training provider where students can study in their own time, at their own pace, is paramount. This flexibility is also to the advantage of employers, so course work and classes don’t need to come into conflict with work hours, or busy periods when all hands need to be on deck.
Diverse learning options: one learning style doesn’t fit all, so finding a training provider that offers multi-channel, hybrid learning options is important to avoid barriers to access.
Clear professional development paths: in addition to offering different disciplines and courses at a range of levels, finding a training provider that also offers clear professional development paths is important. Giving employees the opportunity to reach new heights in their career or upskill further incentivises them and supports staff retention.