Should I Outsource Our Training?

There are a variety of reasons why you might decide to outsource your training:

1. 
   You have complex regulations to comply with, such as those governing safety or environmental issues.
2. You have legal requirements to meet, such as those governing equal opportunity, harassment, and discrimination.
3. You have a small staff and don’t have enough (or any) qualified trainers.
4. You have large numbers of employees who need refresher training.
5. You want to keep employees up to date on what’s happening in your industry. 

BLR’s OSHA Training System offers a completely prewritten, affordable program to handle machine guarding and dozens of other mandated training needs. Try it at no cost.

Companies often go to considerable expense and effort to comply with government regulations regarding training employees to protect their health and the environment. Legally mandated training requirements can range from simple steps for good housekeeping to complex procedures for handling and disposing of hazardous wastes. Your goal is to make sure your training program keeps your company in compliance and protects employees and the environment.

Sending employees to conferences and seminars can be an excellent way for them to learn cutting-edge information as well as to find out what similarly placed employees in other organizations are thinking and doing. The obvious drawbacks are the costs and time away from work. But, in many cases, especially when there are only a few employees involved and there is a lack of in-house expertise in this area, the benefits of conferences and seminars may well be worth the costs.

When choosing which conferences to attend, consider:

• 
  Who is putting on or sponsoring the event
• How applicable the subject matter is to your company
• The qualifications of the presenter(s) or panel
• Any professional affiliations the conference or seminar may have
• Whether it’s a new conference or an annual or industry event
• The number of attendees expected to attend (will it provide a good chance for networking?)
• The location and cost of the event, e.g., if it’s a multiday event, you may be able to attend (or have trainee(s) attend) only the day with sessions most relevant to your company 

Try OSHA Training System for a complete solution to your mandated training needs. You can do so at no cost or risk.

Choosing to outsource training is a big decision. But it may be the right choice in certain circumstances. By thoroughly assessing your specific training needs and your ability to meet those needs—and then assessing an outside training program’s ability to meet those needs—you can turn

Why It Matters …

• In one recent year, employers paid almost $1 billion per week for direct workers’ compensation costs for the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses.
• To lower those costs, businesses in the United States provide nearly 2 billion hours of training to approximately 60 million employees.
• U.S. businesses spend $55 billion to $60 billion on training.