Cost of in-house professional development training for employees

How much does in-house training cost?

Asking how much in-house leadership training will cost is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string? It depends on a variety of factors; but it’s a question that we are often asked, and one that we are going to address.

So, let’s have a look at some of the factors that will determine how much in-house leadership and management courses will cost.

Training Venue

Are you providing the training venue? Maybe you have a suitable meeting room at work that would be ideal for staff development and training. If so, that’s terrific! It means you will be saving money straight away.

If you don’t have a suitable space, then we can provide a training venue for an additional fee. If we are providing the venue, then that might also mean that we have to provide morning tea, lunch or refreshments.

If you’re providing the venue (and saving money), we just need to ensure that it is suitably set up with appropriate presentation equipment. At a minimum we will need a whiteboard. Having access to wi-fi gives the presenter more options to communicate information but its not essential.

Training Location

If you’re within 80 kilometres of Darwin, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Launceston or Perth, then there will be no additional travel costs. We have experienced and professional trainers and offices in those locations ready to come to you, so there’s no additional travel costs at your end.

If you are more than 80 kilometres from the nearest city, you might be looking at overnight travel or accommodation costs and flights. Car hire is additional and we don’t fly business class to minimise costs (unless it’s an international flight).

Group Size

As a general rule, the larger the group, the more expensive the training. For the optimal training environment, we recommend a group size of 4-12 participants. However, in some cases large group training or presentations (e.g. 100-300 people) may be required. Large group training presents a unique set of challenges and requires the very best and most experienced trainers; and that may end up costing a little extra.

Tailoring the Course

While we offer an extensive range of courses suitable for a variety of industries and training requirements, tailored employee skills training will always have more impact than an off-the-shelf course. As a general rule, a tailored course will cost about 20% extra. However, depending on your training provider you might be able to negotiate a better rate.

Prisoners

Within the learning and development industry the term “prisoners” refers to participants who don’t want to attend the training. Engaging with these participants will always be more challenging and will require additional preparation. If you expect a high number of prisoners in the training session, then make sure you ask your training provider to prepare additional tools to engage the unwilling participants. This will add an additional cost component to the training package, but it will ensure that all the participants get the most value from the training session.

Training Materials

Quality training materials are worth their weight in gold. They will provide additional information for participants to consult after the training session has finished.

For groups of 20 or fewer, you can expect to pay around $40 to $60 per person for additional training materials.

Ask the training provider about what kind of materials they provide. The best kind are saddle-stitched work books. These are sturdy and won’t fall apart and will continue to be useful resources long after the training has finished. If the training providers are only providing plastic-binded workbooks, they need to lift their game a bit. You should also find out if your training provider can include digital media materials.

Buy Australian

Too many training providers buy or prepare their materials overseas for local delivery. This is a big red flag. In these cases, the learning examples and context are foreign and won’t connect with the participants or be relevant to the Australian industry.

Before booking a professional development course, find out where the provider is located and where they prepare their materials. A local training provider may cost a little more, but it will be well worth it.

Course Duration

Workshops can vary in length. Three-day courses are now quite rare; even two-day courses are on the decline. These days, you’re more likely to be looking for a one-day or half-day course. Some training sessions may be as short as a two-hour crash course or a one-hour keynote presentation.

While course duration does affect cost, training courses aren’t often charged on a per-hour basis; so a one-hour course won’t be half as much as a two-hour course. In many cases, a presenter will have to work much harder for a shorter presentation, ensuring all information is adequately covered while keeping the audience fully engaged.

When deciding on course duration, you need to ensure that you allow sufficient time for adequate training, while not unnecessarily drawing out the training duration.

In-House Training Prices

Bearing in mind everything we’ve discussed above, here is a general pricing guide for professional training sessions:

Contact Us Today

At Preferred Training Networks, we offer in-house training courses, programs and workshops run by expert trainers to organisations across Australia. Wherever you are in Australia, we can come to your organisation or organise a venue for in-person training, workshops, skills programs and more.

Find out what Preferred Training Networks can do for your organisation. Pricing above is a guideline and we’ll work with you to avoid costs. To get a free quote, call 1300 323 752 to discuss your requirements or email Deb Dear ddear@preftrain.com