Have you ever heard about SSG? Well, SSG stands for SkillsFuture Singapore. It is a statutory board that works under The Singapore Ministry of Education. SSG has a prominent role in the quality assurance of private education and adult training.

For adult training, SSG gives a guide to enhance professionalism and capability toward the training providers. It strengthens the training infrastructure. The SSG also gives grants or funding to the training providers which meet the requirement and qualifications. 

To be an approved training provider offering funded or accredited courses by SSG, you can access the Training Partner Gateway (TPG). TPG is a portal with an extensive list of digital services and resources for training providers. The steps to start up to manage the course and grants which are helpful for the training providers are provided in this portal. 

As a Training Provider offering government-funded or approved courses, you are required to execute several things such as:

• updating the information about courses
• submit enrollment, attendance, and assessment record
• generate e-certificate
• post-course evaluation surveys.

The post-course survey is called Training Quality and Outcome Measurement (TRAQOM). It consists of quality surveys and outcome surveys. The goals are for helping the training providers to improve their course offerings and the potential learners to decide the courses they need. It can be both advantage and disadvantage for the training providers. The good result of this survey will be profitable for the training provider and vice versa. 

The quality survey is conducted on the last day of the training to measure trainees’ satisfaction with the training delivery and resources, learning attainment, and customer service. While the outcome survey is conducted six months after the training is completed to measure the training result by checking trainees’ performance at work or ability to apply the learning at work. The results of the survey will be published on Training Partners Gateway under the training provider profile page and the course profile. 

The indicators of quality and outcome are derived from Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model which consists of reaction, learning, behavior, and result. Then, specifically based on SSG website, the indicators of TRAQOM are made as follows.

So, how to increase the outcome survey? Well, reaching a good outcome can be started by reaching a good quality of training. It means that in determining points about increasing the outcome survey, we need to consider the indicators of both quality and outcome survey.

However, the outcome survey has its own challenge. As this survey is conducted six months after the training, hence, the training participants or employees may forget the materials that have been learned. It means that the learning objective is not achieved and the employees are not able to apply it in their work. Therefore, the indicators for the outcome survey as mentioned above are not fulfilled.

To overcome or avoid the risk above, leveraging an LMS to undergo online training or e-learning will be a very recommended choice. The LMS enables all training participants to refresh the materials whenever they need it. There will be post-course services like content training services that can be accessed via the LMS.

Anyway, the success of the outcome survey depends on the learners’ participation in the survey. Especially, if their honest answers to each particular question imply a good impression and excellent marks for the training provider. Hence, the point in increasing the result of the outcome survey is an effort to service the learners with the best training. 

Considering the discussion about indicators above we can direct several strategies in increasing the success of outcome survey results as follows.

Engaging learning

Engaging learning is defined as a learning process where knowledge and understanding are acquired through participation, involvement, inquiry, and direct experience. Various research has demonstrated that engaging in learning can increase attention, focus, and motivation to be involved in the learning process. By directly involving the learners and giving them a chance to connect the concept to their real life, they will be attracted and enjoy the learning.

Basically, in designing engaging learning, the training providers should understand the learners’ backgrounds to decide how they learn. Besides, as today most training is conducted online, so the training providers have to understand how to leverage technology well. 

Undertaking the online training will be more effectively run in an LMS. By leveraging an LMS the trainees will be able to access the material which has been structurally provided there. One of the recommended LMS to undertake great training is Katalis.App which is run by Open edX as the engine. It supports the training completely with its features and technical help. 

Katalis.App, as it works based on Open edX, is a pedagogically-friendly platform that supports an engaging learning or training design. Here the training providers can upload training materials such as video, audio, module, and quizzes. It also enables the users to have video conferences to conduct synchronous online learning. Well, willy-nilly we should confess that the synchronous one is needed to boost the trainees’ motivation in learning and achieve the goal to improve their upgrading competence for working.

In addition to the use of excellent LMS, the trainers play an important role in constructing engaging learning or training. For synchronous learning, the trainers should involve the trainees significantly during the training process in running. Focus more on the trainees’ activity than the trainers’ explanation.

Efficient content of material

The next essential point is creating efficient content material for attracting trainees. Everyone likes simple things including the way of learning something. So, this is a huge responsibility of the training providers to provide simple material content yet resourceful. 

The contents can be made in the form of video, audio, pictures, slides, module, or quizzes. The use of LMS will simplify those content distribution techniques. Moreover, the LMS enables the trainees to easily access the materials wherever and whenever they need. Of course, it makes the trainees learn effectively and supports them in applying the content to have better job performance. Even some contents, which are considered new for the trainees, can be learned more and repeatedly so it will enable them to expand their job scope.

Tackling the busy employees’ schedule

Sometimes traditional training is conducted when some of the employees have a busy schedule. Employees frequently find it challenging to attend traditional pieces of training that require the experts and learners to gather in a room at the same time. Even, usually, that kind of training takes relatively long hours. Then they will not be able to focus on training content completely because they think about their hectic schedule as well. Therefore, conducting online or blended training by leveraging an LMS will be a great solution for this case.

By using LMS such as Katalis.App, the employees can access the material in their leisure time. The employees can access it wherever they want as it is mobile-friendly. Besides, the duration of the courses is also shorter than traditional learning. So, LMS provides learning convenience that will drive them to achieve upgrading their workforce skill.

By facilitating the trainees with engaging learning that can make them motivated and enjoy the training, efficient materials content, and flexible time to learn, they will have a great experience in joining your training. They will be able to realize the goal of the training which is improving their capability in their work. 

Six months after the training, when the SSG sends them an email containing an invitation for an outcome survey, they will give the best impression in answering each question. There will probably be some critiques and suggestions for your improvement as the training providers. However, that’s no problem. The trainees’ enthusiasm in joining the survey with their best impression is more important to get good results in the outcome survey from the SSG.