Virtual Training

3The Case for Virtual Training

Before I make the case for virtual training, let's acknowledge that dynamic in-classroom training can be a powerful learning experience. This is especially true when it includes collaborative breakout sessions and experiential learning elements delivered by a talented, passionate instructor. For many participants, perhaps, it provides the very best overall experience on an emotional level. Few rational people would argue otherwise.

The problem is that classroom-based, instructor-led training is both expensive and inefficient. First, there is the investment in the actual training:

• The trainer
• Content licensing (when using a third-party curriculum)

Then there are the expenses for:

• Travel and meals
• Lost productivity while participants are out of the field and in the classroom
• The training space (whether it is a dedicated area in your building, or rented space at a hotel or conference center)
• Printed materials (e.g., name tags, tent cards, handouts, and workbooks)
• Liability insurance
• Indirect environmental costs (e.g., energy consumption, carbon emissions)

More often than not, the investment in the trainer (and licensing, if applicable) is dwarfed by the expenses that aren't directly related to the actual training. We surveyed our clients and found that between 50 and 80 percent of classroom-based, instructor-led training investment is spent on nontraining expenses like travel. With so much money wasted on incidental expenses, in-person training ...