The UK news isn’t painting a positive picture of late.

Reports of rising fuel prices with young drivers hit hard after a record three and half year high; 11% cutting back on car use.

A third of British homeowners are priced out of their own property at today’s value with the average property now coming in at £220,962.

Retailers are suffering a sharp sales drop last month owing to a squeeze in household budgets and a lack of consumer spending.

Everyone is feeling the pinch, one way or another.

So, it’s no surprise businesses are having to do more with less – there are very few organisations with increasing budgets in the current economic climate – with budget holders having to think smart with how they invest their money.

How much you got?

Training and Development is often one of the first budgets to be cut and the importance of upskilling and retaining top talent can be overlooked. Moreover, the costs involved to attract, recruit and replace those that have moved on is often higher than providing opportunities for learning… Smaller organisations can’t afford to continually recruit, and larger organisations often have the added implication of recruiting across locations; it is timely and expensive.

L&D teams really do need to do a lot more with a lot less.

The cost of face-to-face training hasn’t reduced over the years and the digital solution of e-learning can similarly be as expensive and/or not an appropriate alternative.

So how can you save money on workplace training, deliver suitable opportunities for staff development and keep the personal interaction e-learning often lacks?

A virtual classroom may provide the answer.

What is a virtual classroom?

It’s an online environment that allows for live, collaborative and interactive learning.

Attendees participate remotely and fully engage with other learners, communicating and sharing through a structured approach facilitated by a live trainer. Training takes place over a series of sessions, so learning is achieved in short bursts – a more effective and modern approach to training delivery and no expense costs to be reimbursed…

Virtual classrooms are used for many learning purposes – management training for example, change management awareness, skills improvement, new systems training and more.

The structure of a virtual classroom training programme can vary, based on the number of participants, the need for the training and the subject matter. The training is delivered in plenary (one room/screen) and/or in smaller groups via online breakout rooms to focus attention and discussion.

Sounds a bit technical…

There is a technical element to it given the online component, but the technology used is easy to adopt.
What’s more, internal teams can be trained in how to use the technology so subject matter experts can lead the virtual sessions. It can often be cost effective to build internal capability and migrate internal trainers over to a more effective way of training that is not too far outside their comfort zone.

How can LiveTime help?

Our years of experience in consultancy, development and implementation means we can translate existing face-to-face courses into engaging and effective live online activity, as well as create bespoke virtual learning from scratch. We also train staff and/or SMEs in how to deliver it.

Transform your training

We implemented a new HR and management programme across the British Council’s locations worldwide, covering over 30 countries. We developed the content and delivered training to staff, so they could run the sessions.

Blue Cross used virtual classrooms to reach a wide audience of volunteers and staff – reach included retail outlets, animal care centres and volunteer homes. We developed content for two different target audiences covering 400 people and we trained their trainers in how to run the sessions.

We helped Royal Bank of Scotland demonstrate a more effective use of an existing platform. We adapted content from their face-to-face training across the UK, Europe and USA and trained their staff in content delivery.

Virtual classrooms provide an interactive and engaging approach to workplace learning. Full days of training are transformed into shorter sessions, fitted around busy schedules, and speed to competency is accelerated at a fraction of the cost of face-to-face training.

So, yes, we are all feeling the pinch. But cutting costs doesn’t mean you to have to cut quality – it’s a case of being smarter with how you invest the budget you have. And transforming your training is a smart move.

We can help you transform your training. Contact us to talk through your challenges and see a demo of a virtual classroom in action.