Keeping staff fully trained in all aspects of their role not only allows for greater workplace synergy and greater productivity, it also gives employees a tangible sense of progression and achievement.

As they learn new skills and take on greater responsibilities, they feel more satisfied that their role is valuable, subsequently improving workplace morale and reducing staff turnover.

Here is a brief look at the five top trends changing the landscape of Training in the Middle East:

#1: BYOD Training Sessions

BYOD, or bring-your-own-device is a training trend that is sweeping not only the Middle East but the business world at large. BYOD offers tangible advantages over traditional ICT training methods, including reduced hardware spending and lower help desk costs.

The major potential drawback of BYOD is data security, as companies risk employees accessing and converting company intellectual property for their own use. Sensitive data loss can also be an issue if staff members lose their private devices outside of the workplace.

However, these risks can be mitigated by the use of restricted login times, readily available encryption software and greater awareness training.

BYOD training is growing in popularity across the GCC as companies weigh its advantages favourably against its potential risks. Lowered training overheads can lead to Learning and Development programmes investing more in resources and content, allowing for greater training immersion. Furthermore, allowing trainees to use their personal device which they are already proficient in using can lead to lower overall training times.

#2: Upskilling HR

One of the key trends in modern business training is up-skilling HR teams to become better enablers and builders of talent.

Traditionally, HR departments have lacked the analytical skills and resources required to process company data and turn it into genuinely strategic insights which can benefit the business as a whole. Up-skilling fills this gap and leverages a number of previously missed opportunities. In addition to the tradition HR role, up-skilled staff members are able to highlight current and future training needs from business data, track ROI and can provide senior management with clearer, more useful insights.

With their inbuilt synergy with other business departments and functions, HR would have greater access to the bigger picture of the business as a whole, while still being able to identify the training needs of individual staff members or even whole departments.

#3: Simulation Training

The rise in the use of SBT in the GCC medical care sector is in response to the discrepancy between the rising number of trainees and the lack of qualified instructors available to teach them. However, SBT has applications in any industry where the nature of the work precludes traditional training methods, such as brick-and-mortar classrooms or on-the-job training. In areas such as heavy industry, engineering and medicine, SBT is providing a practical answer to the perennial difficulties of providing training in hostile or delicate environments as well as training skills shortages.

#4: Blended Learning

Combining the most effective parts of traditional classroom learning and e-learning, blended learning offers face time with highly qualified teachers alongside an adaptable and individualised e-learning scheme which can be made to fit around an employee’s time table.
In addition to its positive effect on trainees, blended learning has tangible benefits to offer its implementers. Firstly, it involves significantly lower costs compared to traditional supervised training. Additionally, by virtue of allowing the trainee to work at their own pace both in and out of work hours, blended learning allows employees to avoid the fatigue that often stems from juggling daily work responsibilities and attending traditional training lectures.

#5: Leadership Training

Traditionally, training has been something most businesses associated with their employees rather than management personnel. As such, most commercial training programmes tend to be focussed on providing the technical skills needed for an employee to fill their role.
To that end, many companies in the GCC and internationally are now looking to implement cohesive training courses which improve the skills of existing management individuals while also providing key skills training to those aspiring to management positions.
Looking at these trends it is clear to see that keeping training methodologies innovative and in-line with current best practice is hugely important in order to train and retain the best staff possible. Aspirational training improves morale and reduces staff turnover in addition to improving skill sets, all of which add up to a more efficient and agile business model. ME companies must carefully and honestly appraise their own training programmes in order to discover where there are deficiencies and how they can be best overcome, utilising the most appropriate training innovations listed above.

Interested in learning more about industry trends while developing your skills as an HR professional? Click here for a list of upcoming HR Training Courses delivered by Informa.