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Bespoke Training Courses

Sourcing external training courses can be a challenge, especially if you want to influence the contents of these courses.  Many of our clients agree, which is why we’re often asked to develop bespoke training courses.  If required, we will also train our clients’ trainers to deliver these courses on an ongoing basis.

Developing bespoke training courses has two main benefits.  Firstly, the training specifically targets what you want it to achieve and secondly, costs can often be reduced.  External training courses range from a few hundred pounds per delegate per day to well over a thousand.  If you have more than a handful of people to train, the economics of scale soon work in your favour.

Developing bespoke training courses also enables you to use Case Studies developed within your own business.  This helps delegates to cross the bridge between the classroom learning environment and the ‘real world’.  People who’ve attended external courses often say things such as, “The trainer covered some good stuff but it wouldn’t work in our business.”  With bespoke training courses, developed on what actually happens in your business, you don’t hear this type of negative comment.

Health and Safety

Ian has developed bespoke workshops covering a wide range of subjects.  One client, wanted to ensure that anyone, who could be left in charge of one of its stores, fully understood his or her responsibilities for keeping people safe.  We developed an interactive Responsible Person’s Workshop, which tasked delegates with carrying our real checks in a real store.  Delegates also received an illustrated workbook which covered the course’s key messages. 

“The workshops have helped us to maintain high standards of health and safety throughout all our stores.” 
Health and Safety Manager

Responsible Person’s Workshop

Refreshing Craft Knowledge and Skills – Power Distribution

One client wanted to review how it ‘refreshed’ its Craftspeople on the main parts of their jobs.  Currently this involved taking the training back to first principles and was not popular with experienced craftspeople.  Ian worked with members of the training team to develop a much more fluid approach to the Refresher Courses.  These now focus on getting delegates to review business changes and then discuss the operational and practical issues which they faced on a day-to-day basis.

Environmental Awareness

Our client wanted its field operatives to be more environmentally aware.  A workshop was currently being delivered by one internal specialist.  However, the specialist wasn’t able to deliver the quantity of training that was required.  The specialist had some visual aids but no supporting notes and so he was the only person able to deliver the workshop.  Ian attended the current workshop and then transformed it into a bespoke learning event with a full set of learning materials.  Ian then briefed a number of people within the client’s company so that they could deliver the message across the business.

Observing, Communicating, Challenging and Staying Safe

The same client wanted to ensure that its new Apprentices were equipped to challenge any actions which they didn’t consider to be safe.  Ian developed a workshop on observing, communicating, challenging and staying safe.  This encouraged delegates, where appropriate, to challenge their more experienced colleagues in a positive and non-threatening manner.

"Our Training & Development team is passionate about building effective and exciting training programmes. 
We have endless ideas for how to improve what we do.  Ian Woodward has been the perfect partner for us – building on our ideas, and developing them into practical and workable solutions."
Head of Training and Development

Disability Awareness

One retail client wanted to welcome all customers into its stores and so decided to launch a major campaign to train every one of its store managers and 30,000 store colleagues in disability awareness.  Ian research the issues, which included attending workshops at the RNIB and RNID and making ‘hidden camera’ visits to the some of the client’s stores, along with those of its competitors.  The photographs were then used as part of the training for Store Managers.

“Thanks for turning it round so speedily.  The feedback has all been very positive. 
The Area Champions have really bought into their new role and the sessions have clearly got store managers thinking about the potential barriers in their stores and looking at solutions.” 
Project Leader

Rental Managers

One client asked Ian to produce training for its Rental Managers.  Ian developed two courses.  The first one concentrates on developing the skills of newly appointed managers and includes audio clips from mystery shopping phone calls.  The second looks at how Rental Managers can become more effective in their roles and at how they can identify ways of growing the business locally.  Both courses are supported by illustrated workbooks and both contain pre and post workshop learning activities. They provide a clear career development path for Rental Managers.

In addition to these materials, a structured review process was developed to enable Operations Directors and Profit Centre Managers to review the performance of their Rental Managers.

“Ian responded quickly and effectively with a professional product that helped me to deliver the project on time.”
Training Manager

Leadership and Management Skills

Ian has also developed and delivered many more ‘traditional’ workshops.  For one client he developed a two day management skills workshop which focused on achieving results through others, through planning, delegating and reviewing. 

“I am extremely pleased with the quality and content of these materials. 
They will play a key part in improving management succession throughout our business.”
Area Director

Management Skills

Ian has also worked closely with various management teams to develop courses on a wide range of subjects including:
 

  • Coaching

  • Leadership

  • Performance Management
  • Cost Control
  • Making Effective Presentations
  • Motivation
  • Customer Care
  • Managing HR Issues
  • Time Management

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Ian Woodward 
 DLD Solutions Ltd
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