Six Best Practices for Delivering IT Training

Training I.T. workers isn’t easy—rapid technological change, cost and the economy are among the barriers to effective training programs, the U.S. General Accounting Office found in a recent study of large companies’ programs. The GAO identified six best practices for delivering IT training.

1 Provide IT trainees with the flexibility to choose among different IT training delivery methods.

2 Ensure that on-the-job training is planned and monitored as part of the training process.

3 Consider combining different teaching methods (Web-based and instructor-led) within the same course.

4 Provide just-in-time training.

5 Consider outsourcing training solutions—university partnerships and external IT training and content providers.

6 Build courses using reusable components.

Source: “Information Technology Training: Practices of Leading Private-Sector Companies,” a GAO Report, January 2003