Why smart workshops are skipping the classroom and taking their training online

By Pavan Jheeta
Online training shown on a tabley

Every good workshop is focused on safety — and employee training is a huge part of that.

But for lots of businesses, the traditional classroom environment just isn’t cutting it any more.

They’re looking for new ways to bring their teams up to speed — with lower costs, faster results, and a more environmentally friendly approach.

Here’s what you need to know about online employee training — and why the traditional classroom is on the way out:

 

It’s easy to access

For most employees, training courses aren’t the most exciting part of their job.

It’s a whole day booked out of their busy schedules — and a huge chunk of time away from the real work they’re interested in.

With a traditional classroom course, you’ve got everyone together at a fixed time and place. They won’t all be at the same level of focus, and they won’t all find it easy to follow along at the instructor’s pace.

They’re obliged to take the course no matter how busy or stressed they are — and that means it won’t always be the best time for every learner.

But with an online training course, your teams have the freedom to:

  • Learn remotely from any location — in a place where they’re comfortable and focused
  • Learn at a time that fits into their schedule — so their workload won’t be affected
  • Learn at their own pace — accessing the course materials as many times as they like.

And the result?

You’re removing the obstacles that make training a hassle — making it easier for your teams to learn successfully.

 

It costs less

When you look at the costs that come with classroom-based training, it’s amazing that any businesses are still doing it at all.

With a traditional classroom course, you’re looking at:

  • The cost of the venue
  • The cost of the instructor
  • Travel and transport expenses
  • And any food and refreshments.

And that only gets multiplied for larger companies with bigger teams.

When you switch to online learning, you don’t have to worry about any of that.

There’s no venue, no instructor, and nowhere to travel. Once you’ve paid for the course itself, that’s it — your teams just need a computer and an internet connection to learn everything they need.

But even more important:

With online training courses, they’re infinitely scalable.

You’re not limited by the size of the venue or the number of instructors available. You can train a team of 20 just as easily as 10,000 — with the same flat cost for every learner you add.

 

It’s more sustainable

This one goes hand-in-hand with the costs:

Without a venue to heat or the emissions from transport (or the plastic and paper from food and drinks), a switch to online learning means your company is making huge savings in energy and carbon emissions.

In fact, a study from the SEI found that online learning courses used 90% less energy than traditional on-site learning — and produced 85% less CO2 along the way.

So if sustainability is a big part of your business, taking your training online could be an easy win for your environmental goals.

 

It’s faster (and more effective!)

Compared to classroom training, an online course simply cuts out the middleman:

You’re taking the same learning content to the same people — but you’re delivering it directly from the course to the people who need it.

So how much time could you save?

A study from Brandon Hall Group found that employees learning online take 40–60% less time to learn the same material when compared to a classroom course.

That means less hassle and more satisfaction for your teams — but it also means less time spent away from their important work schedules.

But it’s not just about speed:

Online learning can get better results, too.

A study from the Research Institute of America showed that online learning boosts retention rates by 25–60% when compared to a classroom setting — and IBM found that employees learned 5 times as much material when they learned online.

 

It’s easier to stay relevant

As the industry develops new technology and advanced equipment, the regulations around safety can change throughout the year.

And if the government brings out new rules a week after your classroom course?

You’ll have to book a new classroom — along with every cost and environmental effect.

But with online learning, it’s as simple as updating the course modules.

After a few tweaks to the learning materials, your teams can jump back into their training at a moment’s notice — bringing them up to date and certified with minimal disruption or time lost.

And in a fast-changing industry like ours, that could be a big enough reason on its own to make the move to online training.

 

Need some training for your new vehicle lifts?

We’ve been the leading suppliers of vehicle lifts in the UK for over 40 years. And our CPD-certified online course has become the gold standard in Mobile Column Lift Training.

With our online training course, you can give your teams the industry-recognised certification they need to understand and operate a Mobile Column Lift safely and efficiently, while earning a three-year licence along the way.

It’s a comprehensive training programme split across multiple modules, where your staff will learn about:

  • Vehicle Lift Legislation
  • Pre-use Safety Checks
  • Lift Positioning and Layout Identification
  • Lighting and Floor Conditions – including Stability, Obstructions, and Gradient
  • Lift Controls
  • Types of Vehicles – including Weight, Height Clearance, and the number of axles
  • Isolating Power
  • And Ancillary Equipment.

And as part of your access to the online portal, your in-house management teams can get the reporting and monitoring tools they need to keep track of your learners’ progress — to make managing and organising your training even easier.

So if you’re planning to upgrade the lifts in your workshop — or you’re looking to expand your staff with new hires — take a look at our online Mobile Column Lift Training course, or talk to one of our experts to find out more.