Trainers, in any subject or field, should be trained themselves. This sounds obvious, and so is often overlooked when considering a training provider.

Recipients receiving training of any kind from academic to athletic to in-company usually make the assumption that their trainer is a qualified and knowledgeable trainer. However, not all trainers are experts at what they teach or how to teach it (Except ours, of course, they're all fantastic!).

We strongly believe that all trainers should be trained both in the subject they teach and how to teach it - we make sure we are! That is why we run our Train the Trainer course, a highly popular workshop that teaches the best-practice adult training approach. You can find more about the course at the bottom of this article or by following the link.

Why is it important for trainers to be trained?

Expert Knowledge

It is important that trainers know what they are talking about - they should have a deep understanding of the subject the teach. Here are some of the reasons why:

Trainers, in any subject or field, should be trained themselves. This sounds obvious, and so is often overlooked when considering a training provider.

Expert Training

It isn't just expert knowledge that is important! As anyone who had a bad teacher in the school will attest to, all the knowledge in the world won't help you if you don't know how to impart your wisdom to others. Great trainers know how to run great sessions.  They know how to plan courses, speak to delegates, answer questions, explain the difficult subject matter, encourage participation and ensure high pass rates for exams. Here are some of the attributes that make trainers great:

• Patience - Having a patient instructor is crucial if delegates are going to learn anything. Trainers must be understanding that people don't always get everything first time round and must be able to explain things patiently so that delegates are not left behind.
• Involve delegates - Trainers are not lectures and they are not presenters. You might be able to get away with it in a one hour lesson but nobody wants to sit through a whole day (or more) of somebody talking at them. This can be achieved through practical approaches - having the delegates try out what they are learning - or by starting discussions and welcoming questions. Even asking delegates questions will make sure they are engaging with the course content.
• Recognise different approaches - On a public course with 7-10 delegates (we don't like to make them bigger and we will never oversell courses!) it is likely that there will be trainees from a range of backgrounds and careers. Trainers must recognise that they can't teach a one size fits all course as different people will find the different information useful. It is always best to encourage delegates to adapt their learning to their work environment. This will allow them to start implementing their new training as soon as they get back to work, rather than trying to discover how it all fits together themselves.
• Structured flexibility - Yes, these words do fit together! It is all about planning. There must be a straight forward plan in place with different sections of the course fitted together and everything covered. However, all plans must allow for the chance that delegates need extra help in one area but are already proficient at another. Lessons plans must be structured so that the training course runs smoothly, but must also be flexible to allow for any changes on the day.

Here at Silicon Beach Training, we pride ourselves on quality and that is why all our trainers are experts in their field and know how to run engaging, useful and successful training sessions.

Train the Trainer Training

Not everyone who is skilled in a subject can transfer those skills in a training environment. If you don't feel confident teaching a class or aren't sure how to structure your lessons then our incredibly popular Train the Trainer Workshop is perfect for you. The hands-on course will help you:

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Understand the differences between training and presenting
• Realise the difference between teaching children and adults
• Practice your training techniques
• Learn how to plan ahead

And much much more! Call us on 01273 622272 for more details.