Design/Plan the Training Intervention

Click here to view a video that explains the alignment in the design and development of a training intervention.

Develop and Verify a Matrix of Outcomes

From the information gathered during the skills audit, the SDF now must develop a competency list. This is a list of competencies needed per business unit to enable it to function optimally. Each individual employee will then be measured against required competencies. From this information, the SDF will be able to compile a training plan, and subsequently a Workplace Skills Plan.

Click here to view a video that explains the employee Skill Matrix.

Develop the Training Session Plan

A training session plan – also called a learning plan – is an organized description of the activities and resources you'll use to guide a group toward a specific learning objective.

It details the subject matter that you'll teach, how long each section should take, the methods of instruction for each topic covered, and the measures you'll use to check that people have learned what you needed them to learn.

It can be as simple as a brief outline, or more complex, with scripts, prompts, and lists of questions that you plan to ask.

As you plan, you visualize each step of the class. This helps you ensure that you've thought about everything that you need to say, and that you present information in a logical order. You'll also be able to prepare for points that people might find difficult to understand.

After your session, you can use your plan to work out what went well – and what didn't – so that you can adapt it for future lessons.

Last, a training session plan will be invaluable for a substitute instructor, if you can't make it to class.

Once you have a general idea of what you need to cover, draft a lesson outline. List all of the points that you need to cover, in the order in which you'll cover them.

Think about how to link information to trainees' existing skills and knowledge. This will help them put it into a personal context, which, in turn, will help them retain it better.

Compare your template with your objectives for the session, to make sure that you'll achieve them.

Now think about how you will teach this material to your students. It's best to use several different presentation approaches to keep students engaged, and to appeal to people with different learning styles.

Consider using these activities in your training session:

Lectures are ideal for introducing a topic. Keep lectures to 30 minutes or less, and summarize the important points at the beginning and end. You may want to use a guest speaker if the topic is highly specialized.

Demonstrations work best when you need to show the steps in a process or task. Learners can try the task out for themselves, or you can demonstrate it in front of the group.

Discussions and debates are useful after a lecture, because they allow trainees to ask questions about the concepts that they have just learned. Consider handing out a list of questions or topics to prompt a discussion.

Online learning is helpful when trainees need to gain practical experience of IT skills, if they need to access video or audio material, or if quizzes and self-test activities will be useful.

Role play involves trainees acting out a new skill in a simulated environment, and learning from feedback from other participants.

Small group teaching helps learners clarify their understanding of the new information. They can explain it to one another in their own words, and answer questions.

Case studies can help learners put new information into context. As they process the information and relate it to a situation that's relevant to them, they create mental connections that will help them recall the information later.

Once you've decided which training methods to use, note them in your template.

Finally, think about the timing of your session. Some concepts or skills will take more time to master than others, so identify these up front, and allow students extra time to absorb or practice the material.

Record the time that you will allocate for each concept or section on your training plan, and make sure that you've allowed plenty of time to focus on the core concepts – if you don't have enough time, you'll need to run additional sessions, or narrow your learning objectives and reduce the number of topics that you plan to cover