You now have choices of how to attend your training courses. As well as classroom courses, you now have the option of virtual training courses, which you attend from your home or workplace. So what does this mean to you and what does it all involve?
Virtual Training Courses
Let’s start by explaining how virtual training works and how it compares to the traditional face to face training methods. The first thing that you have to realise is that you will have a trainer delivering the course in real-time. Exactly the same content, duration and qualification but using the zoom classroom connecting you screen to screen. You will have a start and finish time with breaks throughout the course along with interaction with the trainer and other candidates.
The advantages:-
- Take the course in your own home or office
- Zero travelling time and costs
- Trainer assistance as needed as you progress through the course no struggling through books.
- Candidates interaction is trainer controlled reducing unnecessary distractions.
- Zoom breakout rooms allow you to discuss things privately or as a group with activities for interaction.
- You gain exactly the same qualification.
- It’s structured in the same way as a face to face course so you will gain the qualification in the same period of classroom-based learning.
- Technical assistance for setting up, joining and throughout the courses if required
The disadvantages:-
- No sandwiches or refreshments provided as it clogs the broadband.
- You have to work to the day course schedule you can’t stop and start at your choosing. If this is a problem then you should consider e-learning.
Virtual Classroom
So how is the course presented to the learner and what do I need to use a virtual classroom. The technical requirements are very straightforward even if you have never used Zoom before. You will require a broadband connection (check speed), a computer / Notebook with webcam and mic (normally but into notebooks) and Zoom, which is free to download here.
You will receive a joining instruction once you have booked your course with a meeting link for the day(s). If you have any difficulty in setting up which is suggested in advance of the course starting then our team will assist you so you are ready to join on the day. So when you join the course you will see the trainer who will introduce himself and welcome you to the course. They will take you through the way the course will be delivered and how you can raise questions and join in with any joint exercises. You will also see the other candidates but as the course starts everyone will be muted by the trainer.
You will have the ability to raise questions to the trainer via Zoom in a controlled manner. The course content will be displayed on your screen in conjunction with the trainer webcam while he explains the subject. Furthermore, there will be quiz’s, tests and assessments that are all completed by you online and marked before you leave the course, So we believe that your learning experience will mirror that of a face at face course and have many advantages as listed above.
We will be constantly developing and improving our virtual training courses as we believe they will be a permanent option.
Virtual IOSH Courses
Currently, you can take the following virtual courses:-
- IOSH Managing Safely and IOSH Working Safely
- CITB Health and Safety Awareness (for CSCS card)
- CITB SSSTS and CITB SMSTS and CITB TWC
- NEBOSH General Certificate plus now with open book exam.
Classroom-based training courses for the above are available at some locations.