Upskilling employees: The advantages of staff training

There are many reasons why it's a good idea to train your staff with an external training provider like e-Careers, which we'll review in this article.

External training can be highly beneficial to a range of businesses, offering many distinct advantages over internal training opportunities.

In this article, we aim to explore some of the main external training solutions to give you an idea about the possibilities offered by external training. We will also go into the benefits of external training and some useful next steps.

Types of external training

First, it is useful to summarise the main external training options your organisation could benefit from. Gaining an idea of these will give you a sense of what method of external training would best suit your organisation.

The main external training solutions are:

Formal training and qualifications - Many employers opt to train their staff via formal training opportunities in order to gain recognised and highly respected qualifications. Formal training opportunities can be delivered either in person within a classroom environment or online depending on the needs of the organisation and are an excellent way to raise standards within companies.

View the full range of professional development courses offered by e-Careers.

Training from external consultants - Depending on the needs of the organisation, it may be preferable to arrange for external consultants to deliver the required training within the organisation. This method of training is especially helpful for short-term courses such as fire safety or first aid. Training from external consultants can be efficient in terms of time because it usually means that entire teams can receive training on the same day.

Secondments - There may be occasions in which secondments to another organisation could be seen as a form of external training. Secondments to another organisation can be useful to bring new knowledge and best practice procedures back to the company in question.

Other types of development opportunities, such as publications created by external training providers, workshops or conferences can also be seen as methods of external training.

What are the benefits of external training?

Many companies favour external training and for good reason. Here we will go into some of the major benefits offered by external training:

Benefit from the knowledge of experts

Perhaps one of the most obvious advantages of external training is that it provides companies with the ability to harness the knowledge of experts. Often, there is no comparable method for upskilling employees, hence why external training with recognised training providers is such a popular option for employers.

At e-Careers we work with experienced training consultants who ensure that you access the training your organisation requires. You can meet our expert training consultants here.

Outsource training for improved organisational efficiency

Many employers find internal training to be a time-consuming and inefficient process. External training means that there is no requirement for internal staff to spend time on developing resources and delivering training. The result is that it is easy for departments to budget for training in terms of the overall cost to the organisation. We offer Online training courses and Virtual Classroom training options. 

Gain a recognised qualification

For employers who rely on external training providers, there is often no substitute for the high-quality recognised qualifications provided by external organisations. Companies who make use of external training benefit from learning the highest standards within their industry from impartial third-party trainers.

View our professional qualifications.

Provide the ideal opportunity for staff learning

Perhaps external training provides a better environment for staff learning. With in-person training, external opportunities give employees the opportunity to learn in an impartial environment. External training opportunities often give staff the chance to study within a classroom environment or even from their own home to minimise workplace distractions.

Show that you are willing to invest in your employees

Investing in the knowledge and experience of your employees can be highly beneficial in attracting new talented candidates to your organisation. Candidates often seek training opportunities in a wide variety of industries, and employers should not underestimate how appealing the idea of training can be for ambitious and motivated prospective employees, who are keen to upskill.

Help reduce staff turnover

Similarly, investing in external opportunities can help to reduce staff turnover. Lack of progression is a common reason that candidates give for wanting to leave their current role.

Employers can help to counter the talent drain by offering candidates the chance to study for new qualifications.

Improve staff productivity

External training can also improve organisational productivity by equipping all staff with the skills required to carry out their job to the highest possible standards. The initial investment required for external training is often minimal compared to the benefits that improved staff productivity can bring to the organisation overall.

Summary

In conclusion, there are several main types of external training. There are many distinct advantages to external training, meaning that training via an external provider can be an enormous asset to your organisation. This is clear in the wide range of benefits that external training can offer.

Interested in external training for your organisation? Get in touch with the team at e-Careers or visit our 'Training for your team' help page.

Call us on +44 (0) 20 3198 7700 to speak to one of our Career Consultants today, to discuss your career goals or get started.