Training Services

Your staff development and training needs may have similarities to those of other organisations, but many of your specific needs are likely to be different – sometimes profoundly so.

Public (Open-Enrolment) Courses

Many companies enable their people to participate in quality "public" training courses and seminars. Adrian Walsh & Associates offers various “public” courses, workshops and seminars, which we believe are second to none in their scope, content, presentation and overall value. If you would like to receive regular notice of our upcoming offerings of this kind, please contact us and we will be glad to keep you informed.

In-House Training

However, our real speciality is the development and presentation of high quality, in-house training programs developed to meet the needs of individual organisations. In-house programs of this sort will almost always be more cost-effective than sending individuals to external training courses and seminars. Most importantly, they cut to the core of your organisation's own unique needs and ensure that training becomes part of a shared experience, with much greater prospect of effective competency acquisition and post-course behavioural change.

Training Needs Analysis

There is evidence that almost any training is worthwhile – merely giving staff some attention through a training course, (even one which is only marginally relevant) attracts a positive response and improved productivity as a sort of halo effect. However, training programs directed at identified need will naturally provide more value for money and we urge organisations to engage in effective Training Needs Analysis, before committing to costly courses and other staff development initiatives. (In case you have any doubts, try a reminder visit to the Fable of the Animal School - which might convince you!)

We offer comprehensive consultancy support with needs analysis. Where appropriate we favour the use of the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process which offers a fast and cost effective way to win widespread consensus on training needs. To this end we often use the Canadian-developed DIS (DACUM Information System) software which dramatically speeds up and simplifies the information-capture and manipulation process.

Using DIS, it is usually possible to produce a completed DACUM process in about two weeks.

Training Effectiveness

While “hard competency” training programs can be assessed by objective competency assessment on the job, in practice this is by no means as simple for the array of “soft skills” courses. Typically, participants on such training courses are asked to complete a simple “Evaluation Form” at the conclusion of the program and efforts at evaluation rarely go beyond this. However, most training can – and should – be assessed and evaluated objectively, and techniques exist to enable this to occur. We encourage all organisations to undertake aggressive training evaluation at all times.

Range of Training Programs

Adrian Walsh & Associates offers training across a wide range of subjects. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it is indicative of a selection of programs actually conducted in recent times for various organisations in Australia and SE Asia. The individual subjects have been loosely grouped under the indicated category headings (although in practice the category headings are by no means watertight). A number are based on the use of experiential and adventure-learning techniques.

Where indicated, clicking on "Fact Sheet" will download a detailed sheet about the course, its aims. learning outcomes and other relevant information. Where no Fact Sheet is offered, please contact us direct for more detailed information.