Personally Funded Training - Buyers Guide
This guide is designed to help you choose the IT training programme that best suits your needs. There are many providers with a wide range of courses and delivery methods and, as an individual funding your own training, selecting the right provider and product can be daunting.
Click here to download the IITT Personally Funded Training Buyer’s Guide PDF
To make the selection process easier, ask yourself the following:
- How will I know if the seller (training provider) is credible and trustworthy?
- What do I want to achieve with my training?
- How long do I want to study for?
- Do I want to study a full-time or part-time course?
- Do I want to carry on working while I study?
- Do I want to attend classroom courses or study at home?
- How will I fund the training?
- How will I know if the training I choose is right for me?
You may already know the answers to these questions. If you don’t then you need to make sure that you have done your investigations before you sign on the dotted line. This guide will help you identify the questions you need to ask and give you advice on how to obtain the information.
Things to Think about Before you Start
How will I know if the training provider is credible & trustworthy?
The first and most important thing you should look for in selecting a training provider is the Institute of IT Training logo, which indicates that the organisation is an IITT Accredited Training Provider for Personally Funded IT Training.
In achieving this status, the provider has agreed to abide by the IITT Code of Practice for Training Providers (Personally Funded Training) and has undergone a rigorous assessment of their procedures, documentation, sales and marketing processes, training methods, training materials, website, quality of training staff and training facilities. Only if the IITT is satisfied that the organisation has complied with the Code of Practice, and that the necessary standards have been implemented and maintained, will Accredited Status be awarded.
As a buyer, this should assure you that the organisation is credible and operates to best practice standards in the industry. In addition, the training provider is required to operate a complaints procedure that includes an independent escalation process, operated by the IITT, in the event that the buyer is unable to come to a satisfactory outcome with the training provider.
If the organisation is not IITT Accredited, then the information contained in this document, including the suggested questions to ask of training providers (see later section) should help you in assessing the credibility and trustworthiness of the organisation.
What do I want to achieve with my training?
This may seem too obvious a question to ask, but you need to be able to answer this if you are to find the right course with the right training provider.
For example, is the primary reason for wanting IT training:
if so, your search should focus on training providers who can demonstrate a high success rate in placing or assisting their students into IT jobs; although the qualifications and certifications may be an important consideration, these are not always or necessarily required – sometimes the training in itself is sufficient to obtain a job.
if so, your search should focus on training providers who can demonstrate a high success rate in their students gaining the advertised qualifications or certifications over a reasonable time scale and with a high proportion of first-time passes, rather than through examination re-takes.
if so, your search should focus on training providers who can identify your IT learning needs and offer you a training package that will meet your individual learning requirements, which will probably include tutor/trainer support both during and after the training.
if so, your search should focus on training providers who have commercial experience in the IT sector and who understand what is required in terms of skills and experience in order to ‘climb the IT ladder’. They will also be skilled in assessing your IT strengths, analysing your training needs, identifying the areas you’ll be most likely to succeed in and the role you’ll be most suited to.
if so, your search should focus on training providers who provide training on that specific product or area and can demonstrate experience in delivering the training, a regular schedule of courses, product-certified trainers and testimonials from satisfied trainees.
How long do I want to study/train for?
It’s important to consider how much time you are willing and/or able to devote to studying and training. The time commitment for each course needs to be carefully considered to ensure that you really can spare or commit to that amount of time. If the time commitment seems high in relation to your available time or what you’re honestly willing to forfeit then it probably is more that you should take on. Many trainees fail to complete courses or pass examinations due to being unable to spend the required amount of time on study or training; others drop out because the course length is too long and become disenchanted, bored or lose the motivation to keep going. So, make sure that, firstly, you have the time required and, secondly, that you have the staying power if your chosen course is spread over a long period of time. Having the motivation to succeed is also key, so make sure you are honest with yourself about how much you really want to do the course.
Do I want to study a full-time or part-time course?
This is closely related to the previous question. For financial reasons you may need to carry on working while training or studying, or you may simply prefer to continue working. You will need to consider in advance what effect the training course will have on your work commitments and be able to juggle priorities. Again, you will need to be sure that you have the staying power to study part-time, which will inevitably be over an extended time period, and that you have the motivation to complete the course. Part-time study may also enable you to absorb the learning more easily by providing opportunities to put your new skills into practice in a work environment. A full-time course has the benefit of being finished usually within a relatively short time period but will often be intensive in terms of the amount of effort and focus required. Any missed days will be a set back and may prove difficult or even impossible to make up, depending on the nature of the missed activities. Some course providers will be sympathetic and will help you make up for missed days wherever possible, but others may not be in a position to do so.
Do I want to attend classroom courses or study at home?
Distance learning courses are usually self-paced, which means that you learn in your own home at a pace that suits you and your commitments. You will probably be provided with a study manual and CDs, or access to on-line training, and be expected to study the course largely under your own steam. You will probably be asked to complete assignments at regular intervals and submit them to the course tutor, although some training providers have fully automated on-line systems that will test your knowledge and skills at regular intervals without the need for tutor involvement. Some training providers will monitor your progress, record when your assignments are completed and offer telephone or on-line tutor support. The course may be structured in such a way that you attend workshops at set intervals to review learning and meet up with other students on the same course of study. Attending these workshops may or may not be compulsory.
Some training providers offer a blended learning approach which, for example, might include a week’s self-paced study at home, followed by a week’s classroom tuition/training; this pattern would probably be repeated throughout the course.
Other providers may offer mainly or only classroom-based training, with the entire course being conducted in a classroom and ‘laboratory’ environment (for practical sessions) over a set period of time, delivered by stand-up trainers.
E-learning refers to a sophisticated form of on-line learning, which may form part of any of the above training/study methods.
Training methods vary widely from provider to provider and from course to course and no two courses or providers will be the same, which makes the task of comparing ‘like for like’ almost impossible. However, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I prefer to work on my own and at my own pace?
- Do I need to have access to tutor support?
- Do I prefer to learn alongside other students?
- Do I prefer learning/training in a classroom-based environment?
- Do I prefer a mix of the above?
Your answers to these questions will influence your choice of course and
provider.
How will I fund the training?
Before beginning your research, it is advisable to give some thought as to how much you are prepared to spend on your course/training. Training course fees differ substantially from provider to provider although the training content and methods may be broadly similar. Some training providers will offer a finance package as a means of funding your training and, in considering whether or not to choose this option, and before making any commitment or signing anything, you need to ensure that you know exactly:
- how much deposit is required
- the number and amount of instalments
- the total amount that will be repaid by you
- the interest rate charged
- what the penalties are for late or missed payments
- how the payments are to be made eg, direct debit, standing order, cheque
and then compare this with other finance options available on the market.
How will I know if the training I choose is right for me?
The course provider should make available to you a copy of the course description or outline, which should contain the aims, target audience, prerequisites, course duration, objectives, content and qualifications/certifications to be gained (where applicable).
Aims
The aims (sometimes referred to as the ‘overview’) of the course state what the course is designed to do in a broad sense eg, “This course is the first in a series of three Microsoft Office Word 2003 courses. It will provide you with the basic concepts required to produce basic business documents.”
Target Audience
The target audience describes the type of person that the course is designed for eg, “This course is intended for persons interested in pursuing Microsoft Office Specialist certification in Microsoft Word 2003.”
Prerequisites
The prerequisites describe the knowledge, experience and skills that the student is required to have before they can start the course or module and may list other training courses and qualifications that the student is required to have attended or acquired before attending the training course. Both you and the course provider should ensure that you have the necessary prerequisites before proceeding any further. It is important that the provider does not accept students who are clearly not at the right level for the course in terms of skills or knowledge or who do not have the degree of experience required to complete the course successfully. It would be advisable to ask what percentage of buyers are not considered suitable for the course and on what grounds. Any pre-selection or pre-purchase tests conducted need to be real in terms of rejecting those individuals who are not suitable for the course. Be wary of organisations that accept anyone or everyone onto their courses unless the course specifically states that no prior knowledge or experience of IT is necessary. Even then, it’s important to check out that this is indeed the case.
Course Duration
The course duration will usually indicate the maximum length of time that the course will take to complete and may, in some cases, be as long as 3 years or as short as one day. It is important to understand exactly what is meant by the duration specified – for example, a self-paced, distance learning course may state a duration of 18 months, which may mean that the student must complete all study and pass all examinations within that time scale.
Course Objectives
The course objectives are statements that describe what you will learn and be able to do once you’ve completed the training. The objectives should give you an accurate indication of what the course will do for you. Ideally, these statements should be in ‘SMART’ format – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound eg, “Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: create a basic document; edit documents by locating and modifying text; format text, format paragraphs; use Word tools to make documents more accurate; add tables to a document; add graphic elements to a document; control a document’s page setup and its overall appearance.” So this should tell you exactly what you should be able to do once you’ve completed the course. Therefore, it’s important that the stated course objectives match what you want out of the training and what you want to be able to do at the end of it (your personal objectives for the training).
Content
The content will list the main topics that will be covered during the course and will give you a more detailed description of what is included.
Certifications/Qualifications
The certifications/qualifications may be listed if the course leads to a qualification or certification. The fees for any examinations may or may not be included in the course price and it’s important that you find out whether or not these are included; it may be that the initial exam fee is included, but not re-sit/re-take fees. Additionally, be sure to find out whether there are any terms and conditions attached to the taking of examinations; for example, a certain percentage that needs to be gained in a prior mock exam as a prerequisite to being allowed to sit the ‘real’ exam; a time limit for sitting the exam; an exam venue that is different from the provider’s premises; whether exams must be passed before continuing with the next
module/section of the course, and so on. Finally, it’s advisable to check that the certifications/ qualifications are current and actually wanted or asked for by employers. You might do this by contacting a recruitment agency specialising in IT jobs and asking the question, or by studying job advertisements in newspapers and specialist IT magazines.
Training Needs Analysis
As well as satisfying yourself that the course is right for you, a reputable training provider will take the time to find out what your learning/training needs and personal objectives are – this is sometimes referred to as a Training Needs Analysis. This may take the form of a discussion, a more formal interview, a test (paper-based or on-line) or a questionnaire. You should welcome this approach because, in the long run, you and the training provider will feel confident that the course is right for you and you will also feel reassured that you are not being sold something that is not going to meet your needs or expectations.
Trainers and Tutors
You should also find out from the training provider what technical certifications the trainers and tutors hold (relevant to the course you are interested in) and how they ensure that these are kept up to date. If they also hold current training delivery skills certification (ie, gained within the last 3 years), then this will be an indication that the organisation places importance on the quality of training delivery as well as the technical knowledge of the trainers. Some training providers will invite you to meet with a trainer for a more in-depth discussion about the course and its suitability. If this is not offered to you, then why not request a meeting with one of their trainers? And, depending on your personal objectives for the training, you should find out what, if any, commercial experience the trainers have and when and how they gained that experience.
Other things I should know
The price of the course should be reasonably easy to obtain ie, you should be able to find out the price of the course without being ‘fobbed off’. Ideally, the price should be listed on the website or on marketing or course literature. Any extra fees or costs should also be listed.
Terms and conditions should be easy to read and available to all prospective buyers. They should contain details of when payments need to be made, the cancellation and refund policies, the complaints procedure, the training provider’s obligations in relation to course cancellations, data protection, your obligations as a student, details of any job/money back guarantees and details of work placements, where applicable. The training provider should ensure that you have read and understood the terms and conditions and how they apply to you. If terms and conditions are not easily available, are difficult to read, too long and wordy or difficult to understand, then this should prompt you to ask more questions and to be wary of signing any
agreements. And, if the print is too small to read, you are perfectly entitled to ask for a copy in a larger type face.
Are testimonials from previous students available? If so, these should be fairly recent with names and dates to demonstrate their authenticity.
What claims are being made by the training provider? For example, if the provider guarantees a job for the student at the end of the course/training, what evidence is there to prove that past students have been placed in employment? What salaries have the students achieved? Do the salaries match the promised or forecast salary levels? What types of jobs have students been placed into? What terms and conditions apply to the job guarantee? In what circumstances would the job guarantee not be met by the training provider? You should ensure that any claims made by the training provider about any aspect of the course, job guarantee, attainment of certifications/qualifications, job prospects, expected salaries, etc can all be backed up with real data or other evidence.
How much pressure does the training provider place on you to sign up for the training course? There should be no undue pressure during the sales process and you should feel comfortable in taking time to reach a decision on whether the course and the provider are right for you. If the pre-sales process involves a visit to your home and you feel uncomfortable with this, then ask if there is an alternative to a home visit. If no alternative is offered, it is probably advisable not to continue with the sale. Most providers recognise that a home visit may make some buyers feel under pressure and will gladly offer an alternative.
How much trouble does the provider take in making sure that the course is right for your needs? As suggested previously, ask for a course description and for advice on whether the course really is suitable for you. The provider should be more than willing to analyse your training needs and help ensure that you are buying the right course. After all, the training provider’s reputation is at stake here too if the student fails to complete the course or gain the associated qualification/certifications.
This may seem like too obvious a point to make, but be wary of any provider who refuses to issue receipts, whether for a deposit or for the full amount, or who insists on payment in cash (pound notes).
Some training providers offer assistance with job placement or even a money-back guarantee – sometimes referred to as a job guarantee – as part of the package, which can be attractive particularly if your reason for the training is to get a job in IT at the end of the course. Job guarantees are usually coupled with a promise of money back if no job is found for the student within a specified period of time after completing the training. However, any money-back entitlement will always be subject to certain conditions and it is crucial that you read and understand the terms and conditions attached to job guarantees and money-back entitlements. For example, you may be entitled to your money back, but the provider may only pay it back in monthly payments over a period of, say, 12 months, during which time you will be expected to participate fully in job searches. Make sure that you understand what amount of time you will be expected to commit to job searches to qualify for the money-back entitlement.
Some providers may attach terms and conditions to job guarantees that are unachievable for the majority of students and may include a requirement for very high examination pass marks, 100% attendance, and so on. Others may find you a job, but it might be hundreds of miles away from where you live or intend to live, might involve working shifts or unsociable hours, might only be part-time, or might not even be in an IT-related role. All the same, they will claim to have fulfilled their commitment to you and, on reading the small print in the terms and conditions, you will no doubt find that this is correct. So, always make sure you ask for the terms and conditions of job guarantees and make sure that you fully understand and accept those conditions before agreeing to purchase the training.
Assistance with job placement (ie, helping the student to find a job) is commonly offered by training providers and can be extremely beneficial to the student. There are no guarantees of finding the student a job, but the provider, who may also run a recruitment agency or be partnered with one, will usually make every effort to place the student into an IT role/job. If the provider has connections with a recruitment agency, then of course it’s in the training provider’s interest to find the student a job and earn the associated fees from the employing organisation. However, it is still important to read and understand the terms and conditions that apply to job placement assistance, especially if you are relying on this to help you find a job.
Finally, the training provider may quote expected, entry or average salary levels in their advertisements, marketing literature or website and it would be advisable to check that the salaries quoted have been achieved by previous students taking the course you are interested in. You should therefore ask the training provider how they get their salary data and whether they can provide evidence that previous students have achieved the salaries quoted.
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