How can you make airside safety training cost-effective?

1 Assess your needs

Before you invest in any airside safety training program, you need to assess your current and future needs. What are the learning objectives, outcomes, and standards that you want to achieve? Who are the target audience, their roles, and their skill levels? How often do they need to refresh or update their knowledge and skills? How do you measure and evaluate their performance and compliance? By answering these questions, you can identify the gaps and priorities in your airside safety training and avoid wasting resources on unnecessary or irrelevant courses.

2 Choose the right format

The format of your airside safety training can have a significant impact on its cost and efficiency. Depending on your needs and resources, you can opt for different formats such as online, blended, or face-to-face. Online training can be more convenient, flexible, and scalable, as it allows learners to access the content anytime, anywhere, and at their own pace. It can also reduce travel, accommodation, and venue expenses. However, online training may not be suitable for some topics that require practical demonstrations, hands-on exercises, or interaction with instructors and peers. In that case, you can use a blended approach that combines online and face-to-face sessions, or choose a face-to-face format that is tailored to your specific needs and context.

3 Leverage technology

Technology can help you make your airside safety training more cost-effective by enhancing its delivery, accessibility, and engagement. For example, you can use learning management systems (LMS) to create, manage, and distribute your online courses, track learners' progress and performance, and generate reports and feedback. You can also use mobile devices, apps, and QR codes to enable learners to access the content on the go, scan relevant information, and complete tasks or quizzes. Moreover, you can use gamification, simulation, and virtual reality to create immersive and interactive learning experiences that simulate real-life scenarios and challenges.

4 Use existing resources

Another way to make your airside safety training cost-effective is to use existing resources that are available and relevant to your needs. For instance, you can leverage the expertise and experience of your internal staff, such as managers, supervisors, or mentors, to design, deliver, or facilitate your training. You can also use the materials and tools that are already in place, such as manuals, policies, procedures, checklists, or equipment, to support your training. Furthermore, you can access the resources and best practices that are provided by external organizations, such as industry associations, regulators, or consultants, to benchmark and improve your training.

5 Review and update

Finally, you need to review and update your airside safety training regularly to ensure that it is cost-effective, relevant, and compliant. You can use various methods to collect and analyze feedback from your learners, instructors, and stakeholders, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or audits. You can also monitor and compare the results and impacts of your training, such as accident rates, incident reports, compliance levels, or performance indicators. Based on the data and insights, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your training, and make the necessary adjustments or improvements.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?