5 Responses

1. Training Days
   Hi Buffy,

   From my perspective (Building Materials Sales & Distribution)

   We spend on average 3 days per week delivering training sessions.

   On top of this approx 2 days per month 1:1 coaching.

   Hope this helps
   Regards
   Steve

2. Trainer days average
   Buffy
   As is often the case the answer to this type of question is that it depends.
   Some trainers focus mainly on delivery, others have a wider role. Some deliver topics that change regularly, and so need more development and prep time, some are more timeless. Some have intensive periods of delivery (eg when there is a new IT system or appraisal process). Some work in a conveyor belt culture, others run fewer high calibre events. Some work solo, others in pairs (so may be in the training room but not leading for some sessions). Some travel to different venues, some do short non-residential programmes, others do fewer days but may work longer hours on residential courses. Some have involvement in blended solutions and elaborate bespoke programmes spread over a period of time. Others run short half-day and one-day events. These all impact on what number of days can reasonably be expected.
   The last big survey on this was, as far as I am aware, some years ago. At that time the mean average was, from memory, around 110-120 days a year or about 55% of time for face-to-face delivery. However, the range was extraordinary – and more telling than merely looking at the average – with some people doing 25 days and others doing 185 days.
   Hope this helps
   Graham

3. 50/50
   Hi Buffy
   Our experience at Dove Nest Group is that “pure” trainers (i.e. those who do not have other corporate responsibilities) should expect to deliver around 120 days each year. The remainder of the time is likely to be spent on course design and preparation, client briefings, evaluation and their own professional development.

   I remember a conversation with the head of a large corporate management college where he thought of this figure as a luxury (his lecturers having more like 200 days each year). We agreed that the 50/50 approach ensures that trainers do enough research and mental refreshment to ensure that they don’t become sausage machine minders!

   With 1:1 coaching, we have two ballpark figures as limits. The first is that if you are coaching more than 10 people during any given period, it can be difficult to retain enough individual rapport, not to mention remembering the details without constant reference to your notes.

   The second is that if you try coaching for more than four days a week, you are likely to be providing poor customer service by the Friday!

4. 100-120
   Using the survey referred to by Graham O’Connell some years ago, I argued successfully for 100 days for management trainers working on short modules in a variety of locations. Before that, when longer courses and fewer locations were the standard, but more often residential, I judged 100 days as about right. If you work within 100-120 days you provide sufficent time for CPD, research, course development, consultancy, R&R etc.

   Alan Butland
   Promise Development Ltd
   http://www.promisedevelopment.com

5. Rates survey
   Hi

   This statistic is part of my Trainer Rates investigations and can be found at http://www.trainerbase.co.uk/ResourcesShop/resources.asp?CategoryID=37 . You do need to be a member to download or I can send you a copy of the report.

   Peter