How to digitally upskill workers

Investigate a Learning Management System

For charities that need to carry out more formal remote training programs (perhaps to replace training sessions that were previously held in the office), the best solution may be a learning management system (LMS).

An LMS is a software system which provides tools for the delivery of online training, together with the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting that effective training requires. This enables charities to track which staff are taking which training modules, monitor their progress and view the results of any end-of-module tests.

The software allows training to be delivered using videos, written material, and other resources, assignments can be given, and feedback can be provided. Where there is a live trainer, interactions can be made with trainees using blog posts or private messages.

An LMS can also be used for onboarding of new remote staff, which may be particularly useful to charities when there is no opportunity for new staff to come into the charity office for onboarding and basic training in person.

Learning management systems are delivered as products and services: cloud-based services such as Skillcast and Talent LMS, and products such as iSpring and Moodle which are installed and run in-house.

The benefit of cloud-based systems is that they require no installation and are easy for remote workers to access. Some cloud-based LMS services also offer mobile apps so that employees can access them from their phones.

In-house systems need to be installed by IT staff (which may not be possible during the current pandemic) but one benefit is that charities can take advantage of open-source LMS products, such as Moodle, Totara Learn and Forma, which are free to use, as well as free versions of proprietary software, such as iSpring Free.

Repurpose existing tools

As an alternative to an LMS, charities can also consider repurposing existing digital technology for training delivery.

• Video conferencing
  Video conferencing software such as Zoom is ideal for carrying out virtual training sessions with any number of trainees. They allow the trainer to share their desktop and other materials such as slides, and because they are interactive students can also ask questions during the training session. An added benefit of most video conferencing software is that the sessions can be recorded, allowing the trainees to re-watch the session, and for anyone who was unable to make the training session to watch it later.
  
  
• Project management software
  Many organisations including charities use project management or work management software such as Trello or Asana. Aside from managing projects these tools can also be used as collaboration tools for group training sessions. They can also be used to manage and track training progress and assess the effectiveness of training.

• Communication and collaboration tools
  Popular software such as Slack and Microsoft Teams can be used for training support by allowing trainees to discuss the training program with other trainees and with trainers, to ask questions, and to provide feedback on the training program itself.

Use these remote training strategies

Pre-training:  Remote training sessions work best if trainees know what to expect. So make sure they know what they need to do to prepare (such as installing a particular piece of software and setting up an account), and what they will need to have to hand, for the training session.

During training: Online training sessions can come to be seen as a disruption or intrusion into the work day, especially when they are arranged on an ad-hoc basis. So be sure to arrange online training sessions well in advance and to stick to a regular schedule  (such as twice a week) so that it becomes part of a flexible working routine.

Post-training: For remote training to be effective it is important that it is not quickly forgotten. Ways to avoid this include follow up communications with trainees, making other relevant resources (such as "further reading") available, or simply providing the opportunity to watch training sessions again.