When do you expect live classroom training (ILT) classes to return?

James Meikle
James Meikle Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

Looking to see when folks expect ILT classes to return in the US?

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Answers

  • David Hartley
    David Hartley Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    We are starting our ILT classes in mid-July but with a 50% reduction in class size. We will be adhering to social distancing practices including wear masks. We will also provide cleaning materials for the hands on portion of the class, so that everything is cleaned prior to a new person performing the task.

  • James Meikle
    James Meikle Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    Thanks Steve - I cover the globe and each region appears to be a bit different. We are seeing more and more accounts accept remote classes. Interesting we offer On-Demand as well - Customers either buy into ODT or will not use it. I think Learning Services is in for a major shift to remote learning but we shall see. Maybe time to cut down on classroom space....

  • StevenForth
    StevenForth Founding Partner | Expert ✭✭✭

    I was speaking with a large quasi government agency yesterday that leased a new building two years ago. Part of the response to Covid 19 was to have all of their call centre people work from home, something previously deemed impossible. This had been deemed impossible. The result has been higher productivity. They made the 'impossible' transition in days.

    I think a similar path will be followed for training. Large training centers are likely going to be a ting of the past.

    I still think there is a roll for in person interactions, but likely in much smaller groups and seminar style, mostly for high performers, often combined with some other planning or execution topic. Not pure training.

    It would be useful to apply scenario planning approaches to this. Identify the critical uncertainties and then building a set of alternative scenarios can help us think about the different possibilities. And as @James Meikle noted, different scenarios may unfold in different places. As the science fiction author William Gibson said, 'the future is here it is just not evenly distributed.'

  • Bill Hor
    Bill Hor Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    I cover the globe and agree that the dates for being able to offer onsite classes will vary. In the meantime we are offering 100% of our classes via VILT. As we know some customers are waiting to take onsite classes we are preparing to deliver them in a "Hybrid" fashion. We will have the instructor at an onsite location and students can travel there. There will also be remote students in the class via VILT. In this way we are able to meet the delivery platform each customer wants.

  • James Meikle
    James Meikle Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    Bill

    Interesting - We have offered hybrid classes in the past so we could offer 1 class and attract the ILT student as well as the VILT students. It works. Increase instructor utilization.

  • StevenForth
    StevenForth Founding Partner | Expert ✭✭✭

    @James Meikle How have the hybrid classes worked? I have also done this but have found it difficult to keep the virtual learners engaged. I find it easier to keep things completely virtual. We recently led an online workshop on the application of scenario planning to pricing under Covid 19. This has originally been designed as an in person workshop but for obvious reasons we had to deliver online. We kept the numbers low, and worked closely with people before and after the workshop to make sure they were fully supported. It was not perfect, but we made it work and will do better next time. But I think we would have struggled to give it as a hybrid workshop.

  • Kim Metz
    Kim Metz Member | Enthusiast ✭

    We expect dedicated Onsites to return likely end of year. Public ILT will continue to go through a big transition, and will likely come back, at a lower rate, early next year.

  • James Meikle
    James Meikle Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    Steven - With any virtual class the game is to keep the students engaged. Is a bit harder when you have a mixed class. We will continue to play with the hybrid model as it will maximize our instructor utilization since I do not need to offer the class twice. Has to be a good experience for both users in the end.

  • Joe Thomas
    Joe Thomas Founding Analyst | Scholar ✭✭

    for critical training/certification, I'd expect late this calendar year, but I expect "virtual training" to far outpace "in-person" for the near future

  • We opened up training in June with a "soft opening" for US based team members only - many new protocols in place including social distancing, masks/face coverings and gloves in labs specifically. I doubt we will get international students back in person this year.

    We have seen a number of additional changes to curricula - hybrid and completely remote/distance learning opportunities. With remote, still instructor led opportunities, we are still attempting to manage instructor-to-student ratios.

    It will be interesting to see how far we will advance during this time with tools like AR, VR, and virtual machines specifically.

  • James Meikle
    James Meikle Founding Member | Scholar ✭✭

    Joshua - We are not even close to letting folks go back so we are all Virtual delivery - We switched from Webex to TEAMs and that has worked out excellent except at Mil Aero accounts, not allowed yet. We utilize our Virtual labs on on On demand platform running off AWS world wide and the labs/software works fine. Just need customers to accept remote delivery more. Different in each region