The Ultimate Guide to Training Management

What is Training Management? 

Also known as: Certification Tracking, Training Tracking, Professional Development Management, Continued Education Tracking, or an LRS - regardless of the naming convention, it all points to the same solution.

Training Management is the process by which information about training is collected and stored to provide a detailed history of where one has been, and what one has left to complete to achieve desired results. Spanning across industries, professions, home life, hobbies, and more - creating a tool to track the steps someone needs to take towards what is considered success is a great way to validate performance, increase accountability, and enhance both productivity and compliance.

"...a great way to validate performance, increase accountability, and enhance both productivity and compliance."

Since the creation of training tracking, there have been shifts in best practices. Technology has greatly impacted the ability to organize information, sort data, and in some cases apply training to how employees are scheduled, how staff is promoted, determine bonuses, or awards. Tracking training has become an integral process within human resources departments, and for managers to ensure all employees are able to continue their development in a structured manner.

The adoption of this tool by many businesses is primarily done on an industry basis. For example, within healthcare, it is vital for doctors and nurses to keep up on their training to ensure each patient is receiving not only the best care, but the right care for their symptoms and diagnoses. This training is regulated by the industry and managed at a much lower level - potentially down to the department. With oversight from regulatory agencies, it is important to ensure that each employee maintains the credentials required, and the employer has the ability to pull those records when needed - thus, training management.

Before the invention of computers, training tracking solutions looked much different than it does today - files upon files were kept for each employee. Papers could get misplaced or destroyed, and proof of training is lost. With the rise of personal computers in the workplace, programs like Excel paved the way for a more streamlined approach to organization of training. Even further still, software and apps now exist that provide a more automated approach to tracking training. These programs are specifically designed to allow for a hands-off approach ensuring compliance and accountability across businesses. Not only are these solutions extremely powerful, they are affordable for even small businesses to adopt for their learning management needs.

"Programs are specifically designed to allow for a hands-off approach ensuring compliance and accountability across businesses."