How do you create a training programme that meets your educational objectives?

Adapting your training programme to modern learners and professional practices is more than necessary. By taking your training, these people want to evolve with the job market and accelerate the development of skills they don't have.

To achieve your learning objectives and meet their expectations, your programme needs to be perfectly structured. The aim? To avoid situations where everyone drops out in the first few hours. How do you design a training programme that ticks all the boxes? Discover the steps and tips for drawing up an effective, impactful programme! 👊

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What is a training programme?

Training programme: definition

Much more than just a course outline, a professional training programme also covers the objectives, methods, resources and teaching tools used by the training organisation. Your training programme must therefore :

• set out the content of the course with a logical progression,
• identify the training objectives for the learner,
• present the appropriate methods,
• ensure that the vocational training meets the expectations of participants and companies.

Who draws up the training programme?

👥 Ultimately, creating a training programme requires the involvement of several players, from design to validation:

• trainers and instructional designers: a training manager makes it possible to define the guidelines, content, activities and methods of the training project.
• Training organisations: they check that the programmes correspond to their teaching guidelines and comply with regulations.
• Employers and HR departments: if the training takes place at company level, they are involved in creating training based on the needs and experience of their employees.
• certification bodies: some training courses undergo evaluation according to specific criteria to qualify for a recognised label (Qualiopi, France Travail certification or eligibility for the Personal Training Account, or CPF, for example).

What is the difference with the training plan?

These two concepts are often confused, but they are not the same thing!

1. A training plan is a bit like a restaurant menu: it's the catalogue of training courses offered by the centre.
2. The programme, on the other hand, is more like the details of a dish. The plan defines the training courses, while the programme structures them.

What are the objectives of a training programme?

An effectively designed training programme must meet several objectives:

✅ Firstly, the most obvious is to ensure that participants' skills increase, by clarifying information about what will be concretely mastered at the end of the training course.

✅ Secondly, the programme must respect the educational commitment:

• by adapting the teaching to the diversity of profiles in the field (professionals, students, trainees, etc.),
• by ensuring consistency between modules
• by offering different learning methods (e-learning, role-playing, etc.),
• and by enabling skills to be assessed and validated at the end of the course.

✅ Finally, the last objective is sometimes to meet regulatory requirements: by complying with the standards in force for certain certification courses and by aligning the content with the sector's trade and skills reference frameworks. The learner is guaranteed to receive quality training in line with market expectations.

Two courses on the same subject may therefore be very different, but they will always be built around the same guidelines.

What is the content of a training programme?

Your training programme should represent the framework, with the essential elements, but it should also be able to undergo changes as required.

The essential elements of a training programme

When a participant is looking for vocational training, he or she will be looking in detail at certain key points:

• Each module must have a concrete goal and allow for evaluation. We avoid overly vague formulations that promise to make us better, and we establish the precise framework of the training, with clear and precise educational objectives. For example, we prefer to indicate the necessary pre-requisites and specify exactly what the participant will be taught.
• The duration of the course and the format. Distance learning and face-to-face training are not organised in the same way. The pace of the course must be adapted to the availability and level of the participants.
• Few people appreciate 3-hour lectures with no discussion or breaks. Offer varied content and professional-quality materials. Show that they won't get bored with you thanks to videos, interactive quizzes, small role-playing games or specific situations.
• Assessment and validation of what you've learned. The aim is often to demonstrate the value of the knowledge acquired to clients or employers by means of an assessment. Certification or a certificate of achievement at the end of the training course are welcome. 🥇
• The price of a training course is rarely a detail and it inevitably counts when it comes to making a choice... It is therefore necessary to be very clear before enrolling. Indicate the cost of the proposed service and the payment options (all-inclusive price, module rate, etc.). Also specify the possible means of financing: with the CPF, the skills operators - OPCO, financing by the company, etc.

Go further by customising and adapting the programme

Because effective training is training that adapts to the level of its audience, the programme must include :

• Modules that can be adapted to take account of the different qualifications of the different profiles. For example, a beginner and an expert will not follow the same training programme. Flexibility of sessions is essential. Different educational approaches can therefore be proposed, as well as advanced options to adapt as closely as possible to the expectations of the parties involved.
• Room for participant feedback and discussion. A good training programme is flexible. Its format adapts according to feedback and assessments, according to needs and according to trends. It can't be designed in a fixed way, otherwise it will be seen as obsolete when it comes out.
• Support and monitoring by the trainer. Even if everything is fresh in the mind just after the session, many people will forget essential elements instead of acquiring automatic skills. Each time, offer the people concerned the opportunity to leave with a technical support summary or the setting up of another type of training such as coaching. 🤝

How do you draw up a training programme?

1. Define needs and objectives

Carry out a diagnosis of expectations, a real one, not just a quick questionnaire.

🎯 You need to understand what future learners are looking for: what they already know, what they want to learn, and what motivates them.

2. Determine the training framework

Organise the programme into logical modules.

Our advice: opt for dynamic sessions with varied activities and formats, alternating between theory and practice.

3. Choose the teaching media and methods

Paper document, downloadable file, mobile application, e-learning... You need to decide how the training will be accessed.

4. Plan assessment and validation

Test your professional knowledge at the end of the session and think about issuing certificates to prove that you have acquired this new knowledge.

5. Test and adjust the programme

Honest feedback will enable you to adapt the programme after each session, trying not to take offence if you are told that "it was a bit long". 😅

Sample programme to inspire your training courses

Here's an example of a typical structure for a training programme:

Training programme: Mastering project management

• Total duration: 4 weeks (4 modules)
• Format: Mix of face-to-face and distance learning
• Learning objective: To effectively manage a project by mastering planning, resource management, risk management and performance monitoring.
• Target audience: Project leaders, managers, contractors, anyone involved in project management.

Practical information

• Locations of face-to-face sessions: Paris & Lyon
• Access to distance learning modules: e-learning platform
• Certification: Certificate of achievement
• Course fee: €2,500 excluding VAT
• Possible funding: CPF, company, France Travail

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Professional training: what a programme!

There's nothing worse than a shaky training programme that doesn't deliver what it promises. A good programme is solid: structured, clear and designed with learners in mind.

To remain effective, it must evolve, adjust to needs and be tested before deployment. Successful training is training that achieves its objective, without wasting time. And it's also one that makes you want to come back for more!