What are the best practices for communicating training schedules to learners?

2 Be clear and concise

When you communicate your training schedules, make sure you provide all the essential information in a clear and concise way. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or vague terms that may confuse your learners. Instead, use simple and direct language that answers the questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how. For example, instead of saying "The training will cover the basics of XYZ", say "You will learn how to use XYZ software to create reports and charts in the training session on Monday, June 7th, from 10 am to 12 pm at Room 101".

3 Highlight the benefits

One way to motivate your learners to attend and participate in the training is to highlight the benefits of the training for them. Explain how the training will help them improve their skills, performance, or career prospects. Use positive and encouraging words that emphasize the value and relevance of the training. For example, instead of saying "The training is mandatory for all employees", say "The training will help you master the new features of the software and save time and effort in your daily tasks".

4 Provide feedback and reminders

Communication is not a one-way process. You should also provide feedback and reminders to your learners before, during, and after the training. Feedback can help you acknowledge your learners' interest, confirm their attendance, and address their questions or concerns. Reminders can help you reinforce the key information, remind your learners of the deadlines or requirements, and prevent no-shows or cancellations. For example, you can send a confirmation email after your learners register for the training, a reminder email a day before the training, and a follow-up email after the training.

5 Use visuals and interactivity

Another way to make your communication more engaging and appealing is to use visuals and interactivity. Visuals can help you attract your learners' attention, illustrate your points, and break the monotony of text. Interactivity can help you involve your learners in the communication, solicit their feedback, and create a sense of community. For example, you can use images, videos, or infographics to show your training schedule, use polls, surveys, or quizzes to collect your learners' opinions or expectations, or use social media, forums, or chats to encourage your learners to share their experiences or questions.

6 Adapt to changes

Finally, you should be flexible and adaptable to changes in your training schedules. Sometimes, you may need to adjust your training dates, times, locations, or formats due to unforeseen circumstances or learner feedback. When this happens, you should communicate the changes to your learners as soon as possible and explain the reasons and implications of the changes. You should also apologize for any inconvenience and offer alternative options or solutions if possible. For example, if you need to cancel a training session due to a technical issue, you can inform your learners by email, phone, or text, apologize for the disruption, and reschedule the session or provide an online option.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?