How long should accredited training take?

You decide to invest time and resources in an accredited APMG or Peoplecert training.

It seems to you that official accreditation is a guarantee that participants will receive a uniform training standard, both in terms of the program, training of the trainer or the length of the training itself.

But what if the same training differs significantly in duration, even by several days?

Does the length of the course affect the practical assimilation of knowledge and the exam result?

Companies providing accredited training – remotely or in-house – are subject to standardized, quite demanding assessment and supervision procedures.

When providing accredited training services, they are required to undergo regular re-accreditation audits in terms of processes, use of trademarks or training materials.

By choosing an accredited training organization, you assume that at each training of this type, you will receive the same knowledge and a guarantee of quality. Theoretically yes, but ..

A short training course will give you knowledge, long – practical skills

There are various reasons why we decide to participate in an accredited training with official certification: we want to apply new knowledge at work, get promoted, develop a career or change employers.

During the pandemic, the environment changed quite dynamically – home office, frozen training budgets, canceled projects, redundancies.

What mattered here was flexibility in adapting to the changing reality and speed of action.

In this case, the solution is to take 1 day express courses. This allows the participant to quickly acquire basic knowledge of a given standard and obtain an official certificate.

Such a document strengthens the professional position of the current employer or is helpful in finding a new job.

The short courses mentioned are for the Foundation level.

It is very popular now, but such certification does not distinguish a person who has it on the labor market.

If someone wants to obtain comprehensive knowledge, as well as gain a better position in the company and among potential employers – the Practitioner certificate will be the distinguishing feature.

The path to it leads through intensive, longer training with two exams – Foundation & Practitioner.

It is the knowledge and key skills that are developed during such intensive, several days of training so that the participants can cope well in their new or current role.

Here, in addition to lectures, various methods of acquiring knowledge that are missing in short courses are used: practical group and individual exercises, consultations with a trainer, homework, work with a textbook.

Certificates can be treated like driving licenses. The driving license confirms the official qualification to drive the vehicle. Useful for roadside checks.

But whether or not someone can handle the road – depends on the learned skills.

It is similar with certificates – we can hang them on the wall or show them on a business portal. But whether and how we can use the acquired knowledge in practice is another matter.

You can consider long training as a break from your job duties

Let’s be honest: hardly anyone believes in multitasking. Combining work with training or other duties can be a necessity.

However, in the case of effective learning, it is a wrong direction and a waste of time. Learning new, complex issues requires more concentration and effort than performing well-known tasks at work.

A few days of training ended with an exam is the time for strenuous, all-day learning. Therefore, to make learning effective, try to separate work from learning.

Use the long training as a break from work, take time to better understand the material and for revision.

Do one thing, but do it right so that the time and money invested will bring you the expected results.

Over the course of a long training session, you have the chance to set up an autoresponder and really get out of work and current affairs. You only have a week in your calendar for your own development.

During the long training you will get to know people who can help you in the future.

During several days of training (online or in the room), the participant receives not only comprehensive knowledge and practical skills, but also a unique opportunity to establish business contacts with employees of the largest international companies.

By taking part in such training, including its completion, you can stay in touch with other alumni you know, with whom we form a community, also after years, recommending each other’s services.

Summary

When looking for accredited training, it is worth taking a detailed look at the possibilities offered by individual companies in the seemingly “same” training.

Ask yourself what we want to achieve, in what perspective and what will bring us the greatest value.

Which training, especially completed with a certification exam, will allow you to obtain a return on investment – thanks to the acquired knowledge, improved qualifications, business contacts and experience gained from other participants.

About the author

Marta Pogorzelska-Nedzi as a Vicepresident of skills® has been responsible for Business Relationships Management since 2010. She’s certified in Business Relationship Management (BRMP®), Agile PM®, Facilitation and PRINCE2®.