The Covid-19 pandemic has been responsible for a vast array of changes across all operational aspects. And no one knows this quite like the health and social care industry!
Amongst so many others, it has been responsible for budget cuts, staffing changes, and a wealth of new health and safety measures. Many business functions have been forced to alter and adapt to accommodate these changes, with several services moving to online platforms.
It can be said that the pandemic has been responsible for a huge acceleration in this digital shift across all industries, from children’s activity classes to hospital consultations - all moving elements online. In fact, the average share of customer interactions that are now digital has risen from 18 to 55% over the last 3-years.
One area that has seen a huge increase in the use of online technology is staff training, so what are the benefits of online training and why has it transformed the way we do things?
Well first let’s look at what we mean by online training - there are a few variations!
1. e-Learning:
When people hear ‘online training’, they often think first of ‘e-Learning’. This is training that the learner can generally do 24/7, there are no live elements, including any ‘real’ or live trainers delivering the session. Instead, the learner completes each module at their own pace.
2. Pre-recorded sessions:
These are generally videos that sometimes have accompanying handouts. These are delivered by a ‘real-life’ trainer or presenter and provide all required information via video format. Again these can be consumed by the learner in their own time.
3. Live-online training:
A.K.A. our online training style!
Live-online training is virtually the same as face-to-face training, just without the cost or travel implications. It still gives the learners the opportunity to come together, ask questions from the trainer and their peers and have their understanding of a topic confirmed or updated by the trainer as they progress throughout the course.
So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of live-online training:
Money saver
With reduced overheads, you’ll often find that online training courses (even live-training like ours) is cheaper than face-to-face training. By removing the need to travel to the training venue, you are reducing travel expenses too, creating an additional saving.
Time saver
No traveling to and from a venue? No time lost! With live-online training, staff can get the same quality learning, without having to leave the office or home. All they need is access to a laptop or PC with internet. This can again contribute to money saving, cutting the costs of paying team members overtime or having to cover additional hours lost to traveling to training.
Confidence builder
With us, many live-online learners have reported an increased level of confidence both going into and coming out of their training. Attending a face-to-face training session, particularly on a topic which may be entirely new can be anxiety provoking for many, causing unwelcome thoughts and feelings and a distraction to the learning and content.
However, live-online learning provides the opportunity to learn first-hand from an in-person trainer, with the opportunity to ask questions along the way, at the same time as providing an element of safety and security for the learner who is able to learn from the comfort of their own location and ask questions privately.
Many learners report that this sort of learning environment is far more effective to them, building their participation and confidence throughout.
So… live-online learning shows you can have convenience without compromising quality and it’s very much here to stay!