Why training out-tasking represents a growing solution for corporate learning.

The complexity of locating, hiring, and managing a team of qualified trainers, especially on short notice and with a need to cover multiple locations, can be daunting.

If any of the following scenarios seem familiar, then your company is probably also wrestling with the stresses associated with coordinating the large-scale training programs associated with these major business initiatives:

• Postmerger or acquisition integration.
• Upgrading or implementing new technology.
• Expanding operations or opening a new location.
• Entering the process of complying with new regulations and laws.

And while you are struggling to keep up with these growing educational needs, you also may be wondering how that training might relate to your strategic business goals, or how you can link training costs to bottom-line return?

Increasingly, businesses are turning to out-tasking, an arrangement where selected services are provided by an external service provider, offering access to skilled expertise, a manageable and variable cost structure, and opportunities for increased focus on an organization’s core business. Businesses keep control of the training function, but gain a strategic partner that can address key needs at a reasonable cost.

Challenges faced by training managers

The corporate training function is championed by a training manager, or in smaller organizations, a human resources manager. This individual must be able to deal with unexpected projects when a company experiences rapid business growth, respond quickly to change, and provide timely education to employees on the latest developments affecting their organizations.

The training or HR manager is constantly evaluating the availability of internal resources to determine what support is required to satisfy training and business objectives. That role is balanced with determining how to maximize internal staff through periods of growth, dormancy, and downturn.