10-Step Checklist When Launching Corporate Training Courses

Launching corporate training for your business? Whether you need leadership buy-in or simply don't know where to start, we've got ten steps you can follow to make sure your business is leading the way when it comes to training, developing, and upskilling your workforce.

With industries shifting towards more dynamic, digital-led learning experiences, staying ahead requires not just adaptation but foresight. At Skill Dynamics, we provide tailored eLearning solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of corporate training, with role-based training for every position in your procurement and supply chain teams.

Based on over a decade of research and experience, we'll show you ten steps that we recommend when it comes to building out a corporate training course and why we feel they're important. Embracing these steps will not only ensure high performance for your business but will also help to nurture a culture of continuous learning, improvement and innovation.

Step 1: Define Your Training Objectives and Outcomes

Setting clear goals should be the first step for any successful training program. Clear objectives help simplify the process of crafting content, and building training methods that directly align with organizational objectives becomes much easier.

First, you'll need to establish expected outcomes for each participant in the course. If you can identify the areas that your teams need to upskill in, you can use targeted training to bring the best out of them in a way that benefits both the employee and the company.

At Skill Dynamics we provide a Skills Gap Assessment as part of our eLearning offering. Our personalized approach means each and every training plan is built around the needs of your talent and your company. This means you're only ever focusing on the areas you need to improve, and not just carrying out training for the sake of a certificate.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience 

Understanding the needs of your learners is important when it comes to designing an effective corporate training course.

Analyze your audience by looking at demographics, job roles, prior skills and learning preferences. This will ensure that the training remains relevant and engaging throughout.

Enhance the effectiveness of the training course by tailoring it to fit diverse learning styles. Customize content and delivery methods to accommodate different learners, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all learners. We'll dive into this more in Step 3 — Choosing the right format and delivery method — and Step 6 — Ensuring accessibility and flexibility.

Step 3: Choose the Right Format and Delivery Method 

How your training is delivered can have a huge effect on how well it's received by your employees. It's vital that you select a method that suits your organization's needs.

For example, in-person workshops offer immediate feedback and a more hands on experience while eLearning provides scalability and cost-effectiveness. A blended approach looks to take the best of both to provide more benefits to employees, but it can be difficult to manage effectively at scale.

eLearning is gaining a lot of traction among high-powered, globally-focused businesses. Its cost-efficiency, combined with its overall flexibility and adaptability to different teams make it a natural choice for companies looking for the highest value.

Maximizing engagement and retention should be a top priority when choosing a training method. Strategies that encourage learner interaction and enhance knowledge retention tend to be the most effective approaches, but this might differ between organizations.

Step 4: Develop High-Quality Course Content

Of course, signing people up to your eLearning program is just the beginning. Now you need to deliver some quality content to make sure they actually stay engaged, enjoy their training, and — most importantly — learn something.

By incorporating multimedia, storytelling and real-life case studies, businesses can create content that is not only informative but also interactive and engaging.

You might choose to leverage industry expertise by consulting with experts in your area – like us! Our supply chain and procurement training expertise ensures content accuracy and relevancy, consistently reflecting the latest industry trends and best practices.

Step 5: Implement Interactive and Practical Elements

Interactive elements such as quizzes, scenario simulations, and gamified learning opportunities play a crucial role in solidifying understanding and encouraging practical application of learning concepts.

Think about using simulations, role-playing, and group discussions throughout your course. This will enhance outcomes by promoting active engagement among participants, while also promoting collaboration and critical thinking.

Incorporating hands-on experiences, such as practical exercises and real-life scenario analyses, also allows learners to apply knowledge in a controlled, risk-free environment, reinforcing learning outcomes.

Step 6: Ensure Accessibility and Flexibility 

Of course, any training that you organize for your business should be inclusive and convenient for everyone. 

It's important to design your course to be universally accessible. Consider factors such as device compatibility, neurodivergence, and support for learners with disabilities to make training accessible to all participants.

Some examples of how you can help everyone benefit from your training include:

• Captioning and giving transcripts for any video or audio content can help make your course much more accessible to those with hearing differences.
• Giving extra time on an assessment to somebody who's neurodivergent

Offering flexible learning paths that accommodate diverse schedules and time zones is also important. This ensures that employees can engage with the training at their convenience, maximizing participation and overall program effectiveness. 

Step 7: Pilot Your Course with a Test Group 

You've followed our steps so far, and developed all your course content, but now you want to see what it's like for a real-life user. Why not gather members of your team, roll out the course to them, and have a chat over a coffee to see what they think? Then, based on their feedback, alter the course to better suit the needs of your organization to maximize engagement.

This feedback allows for vital improvements before the full launch, ensuring that the program meets expectations and provides exactly what your organization needs.

Step 8: Train Your Trainers and Facilitators

A great teacher can make all the difference in education, and that doesn't change when it comes to corporate training. You're doing all of this to invest in your people, so make sure you also invest in who's going to be training and facilitating everybody.

A comprehensive 'train-the-trainer' program familiarizes trainers with course content, technology and tools, and the most effective teaching methodologies.

They should emphasize teaching methods that actively involve learners and that use appropriate technology to create interactive and immersive learning experiences. Trainers should be encouraged to use techniques that promote participation, critical thinking and collaboration among learners to improve the effectiveness of the training program.

Step 9: Launch Your Training Program 

You've done it. You've planned the training program around your organization's needs, you've invested in the right platform and the right people to teach it, and you've tested with your team to make those all important final adjustments. Now, it's finally time to launch.

But hold on. Ahead of launch, there are a couple more things you'll need to consider:

• Technical preparation – Ensure all technical components work. Test platforms, check device compatibility, and address any issues beforehand.
• Communication plan – Develop a plan to inform employees about the program, its objectives and benefits for them. Use emails, webinars, and launch events to communicate effectively.
• Support channels – Establish support channels for participants to ask questions or communicate technical issues.

Step 10: Evaluate and Iterate 

Once you've rolled out your course you might think you're finished, but there's one final step to take care of — and it's an important one. Now, you need to evaluate and iterate to make sure your training program is always improving.

Surveys, quizzes and course performance metrics can all help to gauge the program's effectiveness and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Refining the program based on both participant feedback and business impact ensures the training remains relevant, and effective in meeting evolving organizational needs.

Conclusion: Empowering Your Team with Skill Dynamics 

Launching a successful corporate training program requires a structured, learner-focused approach. By following our 10-step checklist outlined above, businesses can ensure their training programs are effective and tailored to their individual needs and organizational objectives.

At Skill Dynamics, we appreciate the need to constantly upskill your workforce as competition for talent continues to rise, and technology continues to change the landscape of the procurement and supply chain industry. Our eLearning expertise, coupled with our tailored and personalized plans, can help your business identify key skill gaps and fill them — keeping you ahead of the competition.

Empower your team with Skill Dynamics' tailored certification solutions and build a culture that is always looking to grow, develop, and improve. Browse our course offerings to learn more or get in touch. 

Additional resources you might find useful:

• Why training needs to be engaging to be effective
• Why organizations must think laterally to fill procurement skills pipelines
• How role-based training will benefit your organization