We all know training our team is important. The benefits are endless, from being able to speak the same language to improving part quality to lowering machine downtime and everything in between. But which type of training is best for you? Here are the pros and cons of our 4 types of training: eLearning, Virtual Instructor Led, Public, and In-Plant.

1.  eLearning  Injection Molding Training

Overview: 

eLearning courses allow you to move at your own pace, participate in interactive activities, pause and resume when you’d like, review past sections, and test your knowledge with quizzes. And the best part: you can take them from anywhere (and wear pajamas while you’re at it)!

Pros:

• Go at your own pace—you can skim through sections you’re already familiar with and spend time on the sections that may be new to you. Retake quizzes, complete activities again and again, and discover the why behind theories.
• No travel costs—there’s no need to leave the comfort of your home or office, which means lower cost and time commitment.
• Less time away from work—you don’t have to worry about what will happen at work without you there, you’re able to stay and perform daily tasks while taking the course when you’re able.
• Minimal cost—eLearning courses are the least expensive training options available.

Cons:

• No student interaction—eLearning doesn’t allow you the opportunity to interact and learn from other students.
• No trainer feedback—there isn’t a trainer present to bounce your questions off or talk to about their experience.
• Not personalized for you—eLearning doesn’t grant the possibility to shift gears as you go and personalize it for your specific needs.
• No networking opportunities—eLearning courses don’t allow for the opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

2. Virtual Instructor Led  Injection Molding Training

Overview: 

Virtual instructor led training offers the traditional live, instructor-led training you’re used to from the comfort of your own home (or office). One of our expert trainers will lead the course and encourage live participant interaction without the need to travel.

Pros:

• Live instructor—you get the perks of having a real, live trainer from anywhere in the world. Ask questions and learn from their experience.
• Student interaction—learn from other injection molding professionals from around the world.
• No travel costs—there’s no need to leave the comfort of your home or office, which means lower cost and time commitment.

• Less time away from work—since you don’t have to travel for training, you’re able to be back to work faster and check in on breaks if needed.
• Personalized training—if there is a topic that the class is more interested in learning about, the instructor can spend more time on that than others.

Cons:

• No hands-on training—being virtual means that you don’t get the benefit of being in a lab during training.
• Staring at a computer all day—attention spans are a bit shorter when it comes to staring at a computer screen for extended periods of time, and days can feel a bit longer than eLearning, where you’re able to go at your own pace and take it in chunks. Though we have mastered a variety of techniques to combat this.
• Less networking opportunities—virtual instructor led courses break for lunch, which doesn’t leave a lot of opportunity to sit and eat among your peers and learn from them.

3.  Public  Injection Molding Training

Overview:

Public training is the traditional form of training, where attendees come to one of our training facilities and participate in person. Depending on the course, this could present the opportunity for machine time to put into action what you are learning in class.

Pros:

• Live instructor—you get the perks of having a trainer there in person to ask questions and learn from their experience.

• Student interaction—learn from other injection molding professionals from around the world.
• Personalized training—if there is a topic that the class is more interested in learning about, the instructor can spend more time on that than others.
• Hands-on learning—trainers often bring examples to demonstrate what they’re presenting, which helps ingrain the information in your mind. Also, depending on the course, you could have the opportunity to use machines to put into practice what you’re learning.
• Networking opportunities—in-person training gives you the opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

Cons:

• Travel costs—in-person training (obviously) means that you will have to travel to one of our facilities, which comes with additional costs.
• Time away—traveling also requires more time away from home and work.
• Illness—it’s an unfortunate truth that in this post-covid world, we must take into account the risk of getting sick when surrounded by others. Though we do our best to decontaminate work surfaces and make it the safest environment possible, being around others and traveling always runs the risk of illness.

4. In-Plant  Injection Molding Training

Overview:

For in-plant training, one of our expert consultants will come to your facility and train a group of your team members together. This is a cost effective way to include teams from multiple departments, as it eliminates the need for travel and extended time away from work. It also allows you to use your own machines and customize training to your specific needs.

Pros:

• Learn on your own machines—our instructors will lead the course utilizing your own machines, which will allow you to immediately put the tools to use. And who knows, maybe they can help solve a problematic process along the way.
• Train multiple employees at once—with in-plant training, you’re able to train a large number of employees simultaneously. That makes training plans much more efficient and cost effective.
• Live instructor—you get the perks of having a trainer there in person to ask questions and learn from their experience.

• Personalized training—if there is a topic that you are more interested in learning about, the instructor can spend more time on that than others.
• No travel—because your team doesn’t have to travel, you save on those costs and minimize the amount of time away from work and home.

Cons:

• You need enough attendees to qualify—for in-plant training, you will need to have enough attendees to make it worth your time over sending them to public training.
• More costly training—since we travel to you and train multiple employees simultaneously, this training option can be a bit more pricey, depending on how many people are attending. If there are several students, doing it this way may be cheaper than sending the same amount of students to public training.
• Less networking opportunities—in-plant does not give you the opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

Conclusion 

As you can see, there are definite pros and cons of each type of training, and not all courses are available in each training type. It’s important to weigh out each option and see what will be most beneficial for your team. The answer is often a combination of these variously laid out in a detailed training curriculum.

We’d be happy to work with you to help develop the best plan for your team. Reach out to your RJG representative or contact us here.