Opps undertook the inspection for the Matrix Accreditation in April and are pleased to announce that we passed with flying colours so are now Matrix Accredited. The feedback we received in relation to our services and delivery was excellent, with comments such as:

“The energy and enthusiasm shown by the staff demonstrates commitment to the ethos of customer care and flexibility in service provision. It was a consistent theme highlighted by many of the learners and employers involved in the Review. The service provides a friendly, helpful and supportive customer centred approach which is responsive to the needs of learners and employers at all times.”

“There is a strong culture emanating from the positive attitudes of staff to put the client first and ensuring that they remain central to the objectives of Opps.”

The Matrix Standard is the government quality Standard for any organisation that supports individuals by enabling them to make informed choices about their future. The assessment process is outcome based and rather than focusing on paper based evidence, the Matrix Standard uses a number of evidence sources such as interviews with clients, observation and review of policies, amongst other things.

Opps remains focused on sustaining its high standards of delivery and on continuing to improve our services for the future.

There is no longer any dispute that good training improves the individual’s performance and the organisational performance.  Organisations frequently overlook the training they deliver in-house either formally or through mentoring and supervision.  They also frequently fail to consider developing in-house training as an alternative to recruiting a specialist training provider.

Here are the fundamentals when developing your own in-house training:

• Be clear on what you want to achieve through training
• Set objectives and key performance indicators in order to measure the success of your efforts
• Plan every minute of the training thoroughly
• Provide yourselves with a clear profile of the participant’s present skills and knowledge base
• Have participants take ownership of the training by consulting with them at the planning stages
• Ensure the trainer/trainers have good presentation skills and understand the range of techniques used to engage the diverse learning styles of the participants
• Provide ongoing continuing professional development to your trainers on both their subject matter and their training skills
• Provide a range of good training materials
• Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate…in this way you will continue to improve the quality of the training
• Seek accreditation for your training if you have established organisational ‘gold standards’ – in this way your organisation will become its own academy!

Remember, a good training provider can support the development of your training and guide you through the accreditation process. Our free Learning Champions short course also coaches employees in many of the skills needed to develop and manage training in-house.

How to choose a Training Provider

Weaving your way through the process of choosing training provision can be excessively time consuming and brings no guarantee of success.  Training providers’ websites span the spectrum from further education colleges to freelance consultants. Therefore, before you start trawling the net, be clear on what you wish to achieve through training. Is it training you require or would consultancy be more suitable? Give thought to the model of delivery you are looking for:  facilitation, group work, 1:1 coaching, vocational or online learning?

Secure a budget!  Some providers will be able to access public funds to support your training, however do not allow funding to be the main criteria for going forward.  There is no such thing as ‘free’ training; time attending courses comes at a cost!

By embarking on training you are investing in your company as well as the individual, do not diminish the value by trying to tailor your needs to meet funding criteria.

Where possible embark on training that can provide accreditation or qualification.  Knowing that the training meets national standards is an insurance against the quality of the work.

Have the provider supply as much information as possible, before meeting them.  When making your decision remember:

• Size does not count
• Seek references
• Expect a thorough consultation with yourselves to be undertaken
• Take time and establish if the ethos and values of the provider match your own
• Favour the provider that advises on key performance indicators against their proposed training
• Interview the people who will be delivering the training.

Feel free to contact us for further advice on how to choose a training provider or share your experiences on our forum. Our Learning Champions short course also provides invaluable information on how to choose and work with providers.