In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the training programme design process, the researcher asked many questions of the trainers.
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The programmes implemented by the trainers cover many topics, such as: leadership skills, public relations, human resources management, accounting, office administration, communication skills, time management skills, marketing, managing higher education institutions, strategic planning, financial and accounting management, preparing and writing Managerial reports, decision making and problem solving. The total number of programmes was nearly 90. The respondents’ training experience ranged from one year to twenty years.
Meanwhile, the researcher examined documents. The annual training plan for 2011 issued by the Centre of Consultation revealed that the centre offered more than 120 training programmes covering many areas of management, finance and accounting. The plan was designed to provide interested individuals and organisations details about the programmes offered, including the hours, dates, location, and fees for registration.
Regarding the preparation of the training programme plans, two-thirds of the respondents (the trainers) set the training programme plans (schedules), which include each programme’s general objectives, content, sessions and breaks. They admitted to using the same plan in the case of repeated programme, and added that this kind of plan is necessary for the participants to know the topics introduced throughout the programme. Table 5.2 shows some training programmes offered by case A.
Table 5.2 List of some training programmes in case A Training Subject Training Hours Duration Advanced skills in office management 40hrs. 3 weeks Modern trends in Human resource management 45hrs. 3 weeks
Basic skills for secretary
35hrs. 3 weeks
Decision making and problem solving 60hrs. 4 weeks Financial analysis methods 30hrs. 2 weeks Time management skills for mid- level managers
25hrs. 9 days
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They also reported that they resort either to lists of contents in text books or to other articles and studies to help them in preparing the content of the programmes. Three of the participants said that they “use the internet in designing these (plans) through copying the training programmes content implemented in Arabic language at other centres inside or outside Jordan”.
In contrast, five of the respondents claimed not to make any kind of plans for the programmes they implement. Rather, they consult existing plans from the centre’s archives, re-type them and put their names to them. They justify they being unable to set up their own plans either because of time constraints or because they are unfamiliar with this activity.
In this respect, one of the respondents said: “Through my experience in this field for three years during which I have implemented seven training programmes, the issue of the training programmes plan is a secondary issue and unimportant, and I did not find a serious follow up from the centre’s administration regarding this issue, so I do not care about this, the only thing that I do is copy a previous plan for a similar programme and I distribute it to the participants”.
The researcher saw some documents containing evidence regarding formats (schedules) of previous training programmes conducted over the last two years and referred to by most respondents. These documents (forms) are similar in their design and content, in terms of the objectives, subjects, training hours, training methods, and equipment used.
All the respondents affirmed that they have no communication with the training programme participants’ supervisors as they were not asked or encouraged to make contact with them. Also they think that this task is not their duty or speciality; rather, it is the duty of the centre’s administration and the training programme coordinators. Nor do they perform any diagnosis or assessment of the participants’ training needs because their task is implementing the training programmes, not to conduct a survey of needs.
Regarding selection of the participants, the majority of trainers confirmed that they play no role in terms of quantity or quality, because of the classic participation mechanism and the registration procedures for the training programmes. The centre announces the courses and those wishing to participate, and their employers make contact with the training coordinators to register the name(s) of participants.
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In contrast with these general comments about the role of trainers, one of the respondents commented: “Once, I was asked by the training coordinator to design a training program in the field of financial auditing, I did that and I determined the number of the participants in the programme, the minimum level of their scientific qualification and the practical experience of each of them. It is very important to do this because the nature of this programme and the lecture, case study, exercises, and group discussions as methods used to provide and communicate the content and the training material to the trainees, required a limited number of participant, and minimum levels of work experience and scientific qualification”.
He added that when a training programme is imposed on the trainer in this way, he accepts it and does not expect the right to reject it since he wants to keep in contact with the centre; this will guarantee continuity in the training and obtain extra income. At the same time it is a prestigious reward to be a trainer in the Centre of Consultation at the University of Jordan, the oldest and the most famous university in the country. In addition to the opportunity to gain good experience in the field, this means more work opportunities in training institutions in Jordan and in the Arab Gulf countries.
The documents examined by the researcher did not indicate any kind of communication between the trainers and/or training coordinators on the one hand and the trainees’ supervisors and/or employers on the other.