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Amid the turmoil of South Africa’s current skills dilemma and levels of debate about which course of action is best, Richard Rayne, Managing Director at On-Site Training, together with the company’s Training Director, Giulio Magni, discuss the merits of what actually constitutes the ‘perfect trainer’.

On-Site Training is a privately-owned national Proudly South African provider of comprehensive training services covering Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and critical Business Skills Development.

The company features a rich skills pool of expert educators who possess a combination of IT and business competencies and skills requirements for Microsoft Office, Graphic Design, CompTIA and Certified Business Professional (CBP) certification training.

As its name implies the company brings a totally unique approach to the traditional training norm in the modern marketplace – the On-Site Training business model is founded upon the core operation of sending trainers to the sites of its customers and providing all services onsite.

According to Rayne and Magni the perfect trainer demonstrates three key characteristics/skills sets: professionalism, instructional experts and content expertise.

“The best trainer is not one who is only an expert, or friendly, or likeable. Instead, the best trainer from the student’s perspective is definitely the most professional one,” says Rayne. “Professionalism is best shown through reliability – not only arriving early, and showing preparation and thoughtfulness – but also continuous consistency in their delivery and quality of service. A trainer that pledges his or her services and then holds themselves accountable to deliver on those services is one that shows professionalism to the highest degree.”

Magni agrees saying, “They are the ones that go the extra mile to assist the learners to gain their skills – whether it is during or even after the course. Delegates are always impressed by a trainer that follows up with their learning on a personal level after the training is completed. This also extends to the trainer who gets back to them on a query that they cannot answer immediately.”

Magni and Rayne share the belief that professional trainers are also accurate in their administration.

“From Feedback and Reporting, to Evaluations and Attendance Registers, the trainer’s administration is pivotal to the Training Provider, as well as to the Students. All the role players in the training event want feedback and reporting – the delegates, the organiser, the training provider, other trainers, the training manager, the logistics officer and especially the course and courseware designers,” adds Rayne.

Another key element identified falls under the term ‘instructional experts’. It refers to the natural ability or aptitude of the trainer to successfully manage the delegates in a training session, with a focus on the fact that the trainer instinctively follows the best possible methods and techniques to transfer skills to the learner.

Management at On-Site Training believe that exceptional trainers are not created, they are born.

“It is important, however, to hone these natural skills through the formalisation of trainer skills – otherwise known as a train-the-trainer course. Although a variety of courses exist, a limited few really consolidate and formalise trainer skills, so that they are focused with precision to ensure that the delegate comfort, knowledge and group interaction is facilitated,” says Magni.

The third and an important characteristic of the perfect trainer is that of content expertise. No matter at which level a trainer is proficient in, they are always required to be content experts when delivering training – irrespective of the subject matter adds Rayne.

“It is on this premise that we as a training provider select trainers that have these attributes. It is the trainer that represents us at the client, and it is vital to ensure our sustainability by employing only those trainers that have the “X factor” and whom can deliver a dazzling experience at every training event,” he concludes.