7 tips for training others in the workplace

Learning to train others means equipping yourself with a skill which will serve you well regardless of which industry you choose to work in.

Whether you’re a hairdresser or a horticulturalist, learning how to pass on the skills you have already learned means being able to train your own staff, start your own academy and apply for more senior positions at work.

Once you’ve learned to be a trainer, you can apply it to just about any profession, so even if you decide to make a career change, your training qualification will not be wasted.

Tip #1 – Be patient while delivering the training

When you’ve been doing a job for a long time, the skills you have acquired start to feel like second nature.

If your job involves using computers, your brain naturally starts to think the way the computer system works; if you’re a sportsman or woman, it seems natural to warm up before you start any exercise and warm down afterwards.

The important things to remember are that the person you are teaching wouldn’t have to come to you for training if they already knew what you know, and that it might take them a while to learn it.

Keeping your patience will mean they will learn faster and both of you will benefit from the training much more.

Like most jobs working smarter not harder benefits both you and the learner.

Tip #2 – Try to make the training fun

Everybody finds learning something new challenging. Often, our brains need to learn to think in a new and different way and many people’s natural inclination is to say “Aaargh, I can’t do this!” at the first hurdle.

Remaining patient will help (see Tip #1) but if the training session itself is relaxed, fun and delivered with humour then your trainees are more likely to stay on track. You will also find it more enjoyable!

People are far more likely to learn effectively if they are relaxed, and if they actually look forward to their training days rather than dreading them.

Inclusive teaching and learning is about engaging every learner in the way they learn best.

Tip #3 – Be positive

If you train people over a long period of time, you will almost certainly come up against some trainees who make following tips #1 and #2 extremely difficult.

These will be trainees who can’t help but make the same mistakes over and over again and who you will despair of ever learning whatever it is that you are trying to teach them.

You will find that by focusing on the positives wherever possible you have a much better chance of helping them reach their goal and overcome whatever problems are holding them back.

Positivity from you breeds confidence in your students that they will achieve, this in turn motivates them.

Tip #4 – Give reasons to use the training

Show the benefits of learning.

Nobody likes being taught useless information, least of all people who don’t want to be in the training session in the first place.

By showing them how what you are teaching can make their job easier, help them do it better, or even save a life if you are teaching First Aid, they are much more likely to pay attention and actually retain the information you are trying to convey.

Tip #5 – Teach then test (or don’t overwhelm your trainees)

Assessment is key

Do you remember being in school and the teacher asking the class if they’d understood something? Everybody would say “yes Miss” because they thought everybody else must have understood and they didn’t want to look stupid?

Training can be like that. Nobody wants to seem slow, so many won’t say they haven’t understood something for fear of embarrassment.

Assess your learners constantly.  Watch, listen, question and discuss, the more you know about the people you are teaching and the knowledge they have, the more effective you will be as a teacher.

Tip #6 – Start each session with an achievable objective

We like being told we are doing well. It builds up confidence and makes us more likely to keep going when things get tougher.

By starting each session with an achievable objective, you will be able to end the session by showing your trainees that they have reached that objective and learned something new and useful.

Make your objectives SMART!

Tip #7 – Earn a qualification in training others

Teaching others to do what you do is a lot more difficult than it sounds – even with our tips.

That’s why “Train the trainer” courses are hugely popular – they teach you the necessary skills which you need to go into a long and successful career as a trainer or teacher.

The Level 3 Education and Training Award, once known as “Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector” or PTLLS, is the industry standard when it comes to training adults to teach other adults – whether that’s teaching in the adult education sector or as a trainer in the workplace.

At Authentic Training, we offer several different ways of taking and passing the award.

We have a five-day in-person course for those without any experience in training or teaching and a three-day in-person course for experienced trainers.

Our in-person courses are run from our specialist training centre in Kirkby – or we can come to your place of work if you’re a business looking to train several members of staff.

There’s also an online course with pre-arranged classes via Zoom you can dip into if you wish, and tutor support over the phone or by email.

Click here to find out more about the distance learning option.

If you’ve got more questions, we’re here to help.

We’d love to talk to you about the Level 3 Award in Education and Training.

To give us a call and speak to one of our expert trainers, ring 0151 546 5151 and ask for John or Kris.

Alternatively, send us an email at info@staging-authentictraining.grid-dev.co.uk and we’ll get back in touch as soon as we can.