How can data help trainers do a great job?

Most trainers are looking for ways to manage learners more effectively, without increasing their workload. Data is a powerful tool to help you do that.

Data has become a key asset for training providers over the last decade. Today, data capabilities are better than ever – a good learning management system can provide real-time data on everything from learner engagement levels to off-the-job (OTJ) hours.

While data is frequently used at a senior level to inform decisions around curriculums and strategic direction, its day-to-day uses shouldn’t be underestimated. It can be incredibly valuable for trainers, particularly when it comes to managing large numbers of learners.

Common worries about using data

If you’re sceptical about using data within your role, you’re not alone. Some trainers avoid using data, for a number of reasons:

• It’s difficult to find the relevant data
• The data has been unreliable or out of date in the past
• The data is pulled from a number of sources, so there may be duplications or conflicting information
• Data is manually updated by a number of people, so there’s always the risk of human error
• There’s no reporting mechanism, making it time consuming to find the information you need

Sound familiar? These issues tend to occur if your organisation uses multiple systems to manage training delivery or a clunky legacy system that hasn’t been updated for a long time.

The lack of accurate data can make it much harder to do your job effectively. If you’ve got a large caseload, it can be difficult to keep track of where learners are on their programme and identify anyone at risk of falling behind.

Even the best trainers can end up playing catchup, when in reality there’s a much better solution.

Getting reliable systems in place

A next-generation learning management system will eliminate a lot of these challenges. It should be able to automatically collect and store data, removing the need for manual data input and giving you much more visibility over your learners.

Having that added visibility will save you time and ensure your efforts are focused in the right places, so you can work smarter, not harder.

When choosing a platform, you should look for:

• Easy access to data, so you have all the information you need at your fingertips
• Peace of mind that data will be accurate and up to date, so you’re always working from the latest information
• A single source of truth, to avoid confusion around which is the “right” data
• Reporting dashboards which are easy to use and fully customisable, so you don’t have to spend copious amounts of time on complicated data analysis

How trainers can utilise data daily

One of the best ways to utilise data in your day-to-day role is to get an instant overview of how each learner is moving through the programme.

Rather than trying to guess which learners need your support most right now, data can help you monitor engagement and progression, and quickly check in on Additional Learning Support needs and OTJ hours.

This allows you to allocate your time most effectively and take action on the metrics that the organisation will be measured against by Ofsted and the ESFA.

Using Bud’s RAG rating

Bud’s RAG (red, amber, green) rating system makes it even easier to see learner progress at a glance.

In addition to our pre-built reporting dashboards, you can RAG-rate learners to identify those at risk of withdrawal and immediately take steps to re-engage them, or see which learners could benefit from stretch and challenge.

Pharmacy apprenticeship training provider Skills4Pharmacy switched to Bud after finding it difficult to track learner progress on their old systems. Now, trainers can quickly see how learners are advancing through each stage.

Evidencing your own hard work

Going the extra mile to communicate quickly and give useful, in-depth feedback to learners is easy with Bud. You can message your learners within the platform, so all communications, events and feedback are captured.

This will not only help you to better prepare for management review meetings but also give you a clear idea of where every learner is at in their journey and concrete evidence that you’re delivering the best support possible.

Simplify tasks with Bud

Find out more about how Bud can save time and help you work smarter:

• Learn three ways Bud can drive engagement for improved learner outcomes
• Watch these videos to see all the key metrics included in our reporting suite
• Read the case study of how Bud has streamlined operations at Solace