With
so many other demands on valuable resources,
why should training be a priority?
Chris O'Shea gives you some good reasons why...
Now
you're convinced that training is a good idea,
how do you choose the right course?
I'm assuming if you're reading this, that you think attending a formal training course is a good idea. So now that you've chosen to attend a formal training course I'd like to think that you will also choose to attend one of mine. But I know that PPA is only one of thousands of training companies and independent trainers trying to get your business. So here are some tips that I hope will help you choose the right training course for your needs.
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Is the provider you're going to use a dedicated training company?
At PPA, I don't do anything else. I don't sell hardware or software, so I don't have any vested interests in the equipment you use. My aim is to provide you with a training course that you'll be absolutely delighted with, and that will leave you feeling motivated and confident to carry out the tasks that your job requires. Whatever software you're using, and whatever hardware configuration you have, I'll do my best to help you get the most from it. And if I can't help you, I'll tell you straight, at the outset, that I can't.
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Does the training provider you're going to use offer training on a variety of similar software applications?
When I say I specialise in Desktop Publishing and Graphics software training, that's exactly what I mean. Back in 1988, PPA was one of the first training companies in the UK to be authorised by most of the Desktop Publishing Software publishers – including Quark, Aldus, Ventura and Frame. Many of these companies have since merged or disappeared, but their products live on, and they continue to be the most popularly used DTP applications in the world today. That's why I concentrate my efforts on all of these products. If you haven't decided which programme to use yet, I'll be happy to give you an opinion as to which I think would be best for your situation. Remember, I don't sell the software and I can train you on whichever you decide to use, so my opinion won't be biased in favour of my own self-interests.
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Does the training provider you are going to use employ its own full-time trainers?
Many of the larger "one-stop shop" training companies don't actually have any trainers of their own. When you ask for training on a particular product, they tell you they can do it, and then start searching for a trainer to run the course. Now don't get me wrong here, many of these trainers are excellent – in fact PPA often provides trainers to third party organisations under exactly these circumstances. But what often happens is that company "X", (your training provider) contacts company "Y", looking for a trainer who can run your course. Company "Y" however, is an agency who recruits trainer "Z" who finally ends up teaching your course. For a start, you're going to be paying a lot more for your course than if you booked directly with trainer "Z" yourself, since everybody is marking up the price all along the chain.
Secondly, how will post-training support work under these circumstances? Most of the time you will not be given the contact details of the trainer who ran your course, and the trainer will have signed an agreement undertaking not to contact you directly. So if you have a support question following a course, you have to contact company "X", who passes a message to company "Y" who relays the message to trainer "Z". When the trainer finally gets the message, the response has to be passed back down the line to you. What was that publication deadline you mentioned...?
I run most PPA courses myself. On the very rare occasion that a course is outsourced, you will know at the time of booking. When I do use external trainers, I only use trainers that are known to me personally, and who have proved their commitment to the same kind of quality delivery on which I provide myself. And you will be able to contact the trainer directly after the course and not have to route your queries through me or anyone else.
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What training qualifications does the trainer who will be delivering the course have?
I am a fully qualified, experienced, graduate teacher and most of the external trainers I use are qualified teachers as well, or are able to deliver training to an equivalent standard. I designed all of the courses advertised on this website and deliver most of them myself. This means that I know how to structure a programme of learning, and am able to employ a number of different strategies to ensure that your training objectives are achieved. Your PPA trainer will be confident and relaxed when delivering your course, providing an ideal learning environment.
With twenty years of experience in the Desktop Publishing training market-place as well, PPA is both in authority and an authority on the stuff you need to know to get the best out of your desktop publishing software.
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Ask for references
Any reputable training provider will be happy to give you the name and contact details of customers that they have trained and who would be willing to testify to the quality of training delivered. Make sure you get the details of someone that was trained recently (many training companies have a high turn-over of staff) and on the same product on which you require training.
PPA will be happy to provide you with contacts who will act as referees.
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Chris O'Shea
Proprietor, PPA Education & Training
September 2009.