Corporate Training, Corporate Training Programs, and Employee Training refer to learning opportunities to help employees gain the skills needed to perform job responsibilities and duties. The best corporate training has an impact beyond the skills gained to perform a job and can positively influence the corporate culture. Studies show that the investment in training employees can have added business benefits of reducing turnover, fostering a learning culture, bolstering morale, and meeting customer needs.
Discover the key to a highly engaged workforce with our FREE guide on leveraging learning and development for employee engagement.
Download now to learn how to nurture a culture of growth for enhanced talent engagement!
What is a corporate training program?
Corporate training is a learning experience designed to educate employees on specific behaviors, processes, and/or systems needed to perform roles and responsibilities. Employee training can be delivered in many formats, such as an instructor-led class in person or online, a video, or as a web module. Corporate or Employee training, in any format, should state learning objectives to help with assessing later performance on the job. The best corporate training includes opportunities for personalized employee feedback to guide development and an assessment of knowledge gained from completing the training.
For complex topics or for soft skills that take time and practice to develop, a corporate training program is used for training employees. A corporate training program has a series of classes, resources, and/or learning experiences completed over time. A program should, like each of the corporate training resources within it, have clearly stated goals and objectives, along with feedback and an assessment.
Many mid-size or large corporate training development departments use a Learning Management System (LMS) to provide employees with an easy way to access corporate training catalogs online. Employee training programs require ongoing monitoring and lifecycle management to determine needed updates to existing training, gaps for needed training, and when training should be retired.
When do you use corporate training programs?
Corporate training programs are important to keep employees up to date with new practices, regulation changes, new technology, and process improvements.
Newer employees should be going through more training, and more often, as they assimilate to the corporate culture and grow skills for their role. More established employees should complete training to keep their skills and knowledge current, in addition to supporting their role performance within the company.
Corporate training: what are the different types?
The company size and the type of industry will influence how customized corporate training classes will be and how many specialized employee training programs are needed. Training programs of all types and topics should help employees perform their roles while also promoting the corporate culture. The types of corporate training classes and corporate training programs will vary depending on the company.
Corporate Leadership training programs
New-to-leadership
Executive leadership
Informal Leadership / Influencing without authority
Team leadership
Technical skills training
Project management
Programming skills
Programming coding languages
Customer service software
Quality control technologies
Quality control processes
Certification preparation training, depending on roles and responsibilities
Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam Prep
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® Exam Prep
PM Scheduling Management Professional (PMI-SP)® Exam Prep
Lean Six Sigma – Yellow & Green Belts
BRMP® Certification Training
Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®)
Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®)
Soft skills (also referred to as people skills, power skills, and interpersonal skills) training
Emotional intelligence
Written communication
Problem-solving
Time management
Critical thinking
Decision Making
Facilitation
General business skills (also referred to as operational skills)
Financial management
Business operations
Organizational management
Project Management Fundamentals
Business Relationship Management Foundations
Business Process Modeling
Business Process Improvement
Business Process Management Foundations
Large organizations often have an internal corporate training development team to customize their corporate training offerings. Often there is a combination of internal subject matter experts (SMEs), corporate learning professionals, and external training vendors who deliver employee training.
Types of corporate training programs: project management skills
Internal corporate training departments depend on certified training companies to provide their employees with certification program options. For example, Project Managers need the training to earn industry-standard certifications for:
Project Management,
Agile,
Lean Six Sigma,
ITIL, and
Business Analysis.
Each project management certification and skill set could have a training class or program that also fits into an overall corporate training program for project management.
A Project Management corporate training program should use training resources that are routinely updated for alignment with the industry’s most current standards. Project Management Institute (PMI)®’s Authorized Training Partners (ATP) program ensures global standards for certification-related training. As an employee seeking training or as the corporate training department, only authorized PMI certification training materials should be used.
Types of corporate training programs: leadership training
Corporate settings typically offer their employees one or more corporate leadership training programs to prepare for leadership. Different soft skills will be embedded in leadership training to address different stages of leadership:
Preparing for leadership or role progression
New to the company leader role
New to a leadership role
Team leader
Preparing for the next level of leadership
Executive Leader
The areas listed above fit within the corporate training topic of leadership training. However, each area could be a unique training program by itself, designed for the specific needs of the employees at that career stage. For example, a “Team Leader training program” fits into the overall Leadership Development corporate training program.
Benefits of corporate training
Whether your company has a corporate training team, you are the departmental training coordinator, or you are a Human Resources professional seeking development resources for employee training, providing your employees with high-quality training solutions has a direct impact on the business.
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) was part of TalentLMS 2022 learning and development study that concluded “employees now see a vibrant learning & development (L&D) culture as a key part of what makes a company a great place to work in 2022—and beyond”
The obvious benefit of a well-trained workforce is the ability to meet immediate needs for current work. The long-term benefits of quality corporate training come from building a culture of continuous learning in which the priority placed on employee satisfaction and development is clear.
How does a company benefit from using external corporate training?
Companies of all sizes use professional corporate training vendors and external corporate training programs to broaden employee training opportunities and grow needed skills.
Cost savings and time savings potential
Using an existing external corporate training program may be more cost-efficient than the cost of months of development time it would take to create it internally. Additionally, if it is a skill or knowledge area needed in the short term, using an external training company can ensure your employees have just-in-time training.
Industry certifications and training material requirements
It is a best practice (and sometimes a credential requirement) to only use exam prep training from an authorized training vendor to ensure the accuracy of the materials. No company wants employees to complete training only to find out the materials are out-of-date for the current certification exam!
Expand knowledge and skill growth opportunities
Tapping into an external training vendor’s catalog can be an easy way to meet unexpected training needs for leaders and teams. It can give employees insight at a broader or industry level to bring back to the team and company to spark improvements and innovation.
How does corporate training benefit the company?
Corporate training supplies both immediate and long-term benefits to a company. The availability and quality of corporate training contribute to:
talent retention (staying where they know they can grow their skill set),
corporate culture (training helps foster a more productive workforce that in turn is more engaged and loyal),
talent recruitment (top performers seek opportunities to continue their development) and
talent cost management (the expense of recruiting and onboarding due to high turnover can be reduced if there is less turnover).
Receive our newsletter to stay on top of the latest posts
Project Manager & Writer at Project Management Academy
An experienced leader in standing up sustainable professional service operations and multidisciplinary teams that activate the business strategy. A program manager blending problem solving, business acumen, and fun to realize positive results. A creative thinker who thrives in diverse settings in which people skills and technological savvy are required.
Organizations need to have comprehensive training for new employees to ensure they are set up for success in both the short and long term. Integrated training during the onboarding process [...]
Introduction In today’s competitive business landscape, organizations continually seek an edge that will make them stand out. While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success, one element universally contributes to a [...]
In today’s highly competitive business environment, an organization’s workforce’s quality and dedication are critical factors contributing to its success. Organizations must not only hire qualified candidates but must also commit [...]
As we enter the 3rd Quarter of 2023, Learning and Development (L&D) teams face new challenges and a chance to demonstrate their value. Turning challenges into opportunities is not new [...]
An organization’s ability to achieve business goals is directly tied to its talent: productivity, personnel recruitment efforts, and market competitiveness connect to a company’s overall talent strategy, tactics, and candidate [...]
The business world is constantly evolving, fiercely competitive, and in constant search for innovation to set organizations apart from their main competition. Amidst this intricate landscape, the necessity for capable [...]
In today’s rapidly evolving job market, it’s essential for both employers and employees to stay ahead of the curve. With new technologies and shifting industry demands, how can we ensure [...]
In our fast-paced world, staying competitive is key. Companies can do this by upskilling their staff, which means helping them improve their current skills or learn new ones to keep [...]
PMI, PMBOK, PMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMI-PBA, The PMI TALENT TRIANGLE and the PMI Talent Triangle logo, and the PMI Authorized Training Partner logo are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. | PMI ATP Provider ID #3348 | ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited. The Swirl logo™ is a trademark of AXELOS Limited | IIBA®, BABOK® Guide and Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® are registered trademarks owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. CBAP®, CCBA®, IIBA®-AAC, IIBA®-CBDA, and ECBA™ are registered certification marks owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. | BRMP® is a registered trademark of Business Relationship Management Institute.