Are you planning to set up training for your teams? Do you want to create a new training module? Are you soon going to carry out a validation of acquired experience (VAE) for one of your employees?
So, it's time to write your training program. We tell you everything about this document that will structure your strategy of vocational training !
How do I create a training program?
The training program is an administrative management document that must include the elements of your training and be sent to all actors: trainers, learners, funding institutions... Since the Training Law of 2014, this document has been mandatory for all professional training, skills assessments and VAE.
And if your training is intended to be presented to a funding organization, the latter will have to check the coherence of the objectives and the actions implemented to achieve them before giving you the green light!
That's all well and good, but what do we put into this training program?
Identify your audience for targeted training
Before you know what you want to talk about in your training, It is essential to know WHO you are going to talk to. Are they students? Employees? Executives?
If you aim at your employees: what jobs do they do? What do they want to evolve towards? The more specific your target is, the easier it will be for you to determine what actions to put in place for the rest of your training program.
Define clear and measurable goals for your training
Now that you know who your training is for, and the problem it should address, you need to determine a specific objective.
To do this, we advise you to choose an “S.M.A.R.T” lens:
- Specific: to specify what you are going to assess (example: “knowing how to use WordPress independently”)
- Measurable: to be verified using precise metrics or techniques (example: “is able to create a new blog page and consult the site data on WordPress)
- Achievable: to be sure that we have the resources necessary for the smooth running of the training (example: wanting to train your teams on WordPress without having trainers specialized in the tool is not an achievable goal).
- Realistic: to be sure of being able to reach the objective at the end of the training (example: “developing a WordPress blog in HTML and CSS with JavaScript animations in two weeks of training” is not a realistic goal).
- Temporal: to be able to measure the objective of the training over time (example: “knowing how to integrate a blog article into the WordPress CMS after 2 weeks of training”)
You will have understood it: “Master the WordPress tool” is not a SMART goal for your training. On the other hand, “Master the integration of new blog posts and the analysis of their results in WordPress in one month of training” is a SMART goal.
Of course, you can also talk about the type of skills you want to develop in your training program: know-how (hard skills), soft skills, transversal skills... You are free to add any information you find relevant to your training objective!
Choose the title of the course according to the educational objectives
Once you've defined your SMART goal, your course title should be a no-brainer! Don't be a generalist: the more specific your title is, the more it will speak to your audience.
“Social media training” is for example too large. In the present case, we would rather prefer: “LinkedIn training: 2 weeks to learn how to create content regularly and analyze it.” Do you understand the nuance?
What are the steps in creating a training course?
Detail the content of the training for a structured progression
The educational path of your training must be precisely described in your training program. It should help you reach your SMART goal. To do this, you can divide your training into several modules, and divide the content between these modules, or even structure them into chapters.
It is necessary to organize your training program in the number of hours per module (if it is an online training), or in specific time slots (if it is a face-to-face training or a blended learning training course).
Select the type of training adapted to your career path
We now know the audience for your training, its objective and its content. All of these elements will help us determine the format:
- Face-to-face training: it requires learners and sometimes trainers to be on site to carry out the training.
- Online training: it can be done from anywhere, but requires specific hardware (computer, internet connection...)
- Hybrid training (or”Blended Learning”): it is the mix between face-to-face training and online training.
- Peer to peer training (or”Peer-learning”): it requires mobilizing other collaborators (who are not trainers) to train their colleagues.
- A training course on short modules (or ”microlearning”): it is generally done on a mobile phone and on modules of 5 minutes maximum.
Choose your format and include it in your training program by justifying it!
Use appropriate pedagogical and technical resources
We are entering the technical aspect of the training program! In this part, you need to determine if your training path requires specific learning materials: online modules? Learning sheets? Situations? Practical exercises? Team challenges? Assessment grids?
Then, you will specify in your training program the technical resources you will need: mobile application, classroom, internet connection, tablets...
Plan the implementation of the training program
Determine the duration of the training for effective support
Half a day? A week? A month? A year? There is no ideal length of time for vocational training! The main thing is to choose the one that best suits your objective, your background and the different modalities of your training program. However, once your duration has been determined, do not forget to explain your choice!
Manage the number of participants in your training to promote interaction
Studies have been done on the optimal number of learners for training that promotes exchanges. Research by Béatrice Pudelko (Ph. D., Professor, Professor, head of Adult Education and Training programs at Téluq University) shows that a group of 12 participants maximum facilitates learning transfer. The smaller the groups, the more the trainer can focus on guided practice actions and feedback.
Therefore, choose small groups for your training, the results will be even more visible, and integrate the number of participants into your training program.
Evaluate the results of your training
Your training program must include the procedures for assessing the level of achievement and for the smooth running of the program. This section should include:
- prior learning assessments
- The monitoring grid
- Satisfaction questionnaires
- Attendance certificates
Optimize the effectiveness of your training
Define the prerequisites for optimal participation
Your training may target people who are already qualified or have undergone preliminary training. It is important to mention this in your training program. so that no participant is left behind or bored in the face of pedagogical concepts that he would have already seen.
Customize the training program according to the target audience
If your training can be adapted to the specific needs of your target, write it down! For example, you can ask your learners to start with a professional or personal project and to keep it in mind throughout the training course. For example, if it's a training program to develop business skills, they could sell the product of a brand they admire, or even their own brand (if they have one)!
Finally, if your training does not take place as part of a corporate training course, add the overall support rate.
And that's it! Your vocational training program is ready. All you have to do is transmit it to potential learners or to funding organizations if you want this training to be taken care of. And if you are interested in the subject of vocational training, we invite you to consult all our articles on the subject!
