How to Set Up a Job Training Center

To set up a job training center for your organization, analyze your company's needs for supporting career development. Job training centers typically offer classroom training, including hands-on lab activities as well as providing self-paced solutions for learning new skills and knowledge. Depending on your industry, job training centers may also be responsible for offering certification training and providing exam proctoring. Becoming an authorized training provider for large corporations, such as Microsoft, HP and IBM, involves applying to become partners and adhering to guidelines for providing standard course offerings.

• 1

  Determine the logistical needs for your company's training programs. For example, if you do not have the appropriate facilities, you can make arrangements to offer training courses at other locations, such as hotels or community centers. Typical training centers provide rooms equipped with conference tables and enough chairs for each participant. Depending on the course content, networked computers and other hardware or software may be required for lab exercises. Hire a consulting company to provide the installation and maintenance services or use your own staff to perform these tasks.

• 2

  Identify your typical class offerings and class sizes so you can provide the appropriate level of instructional support. Training programs typically allow for questions and answers during lectures as well as extra consultation. You should also identify the primary language, budget constraints and additional hours of operation that can impact the type of instructors you hire to staff your job training center. Recreational activities, such as dinners and local tours, may also supplement your traditional training course offerings.

• 3

  List the materials required for each of the courses you offer, such as textbooks, reference material, notebooks for the students and instructor materials, such as whiteboards, video projection and other instructional technology tools. Set up the additional resources students need to complete course lab exercises. For example, courses designed to prepare customer service representatives to fix printers require the printer products for the students to practice using. Similarly, if role-playing exercises require additional materials, such as markers or poster board, ensure that your job training center remains stocked for each offering.

• 4

  Set up training rooms so that extra chairs, computers and other equipment do not interfere with traffic flow as students and instructors move around the room during the session. Cables for equipment should be safely secured. Ensure the room lighting system allows for dimming when projecting video or slides. Ideally, keep backup equipment on hand, just in case system failures occur.