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Training Program Plan

Stephanie Pickering

AET/570

May 15, 2017

Dr. Gale Cossette

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Training Program Plan

Part I. Training Program Description

The marketing department at the University of Delaware is instrumental in ensuring

success and money making ideas for our campus community. The training program presents a

different way of learning new marketing strategies that will turn savvy marketing people into

money making machines. The training will teach individuals how to improve the current level of

knowledge growing profits and sales growth for the university. The training program will

produce a positive impact on adult learning as it will teach the marketing department how to

promote the school and drive sales to a new level providing the necessary funding to keep the

campus community moving in the right direction.

Scope of the training

The training will provide the marketing department with new innovative ideas of how to

promote the university and increase profits involving the surrounding communities. The

marketing employees will learn through classroom instruction how to share and create their ideas

through collaboration to market the university. Through social media, the marketing department

will get to spread the word about the university and promote events held for our communities.

Through classroom instruction, the marketing department employees will learn how to apply

their current skills and with the use of technology have a more profitable way of promoting the

university. Learning new market skills will help to develop and create new ways of making the

university more valuable.

Intended Audience

The marketing department will determine with the use of technology in the classroom

training how to improve community relationships and connect with new people within the
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community. Everyone in the marketing department with different skill sets will be a part of the

training. The trainer will ensure that the overall training strategy will provide appropriate

training that reflects the capabilities of the trainees.

Program Goals

The ultimate purpose of this training is to ensure that each employee in the marketing

department gains new knowledge, learn new marketing skills, increase use of social media, learn

how to increase sales while expanding relations with the surrounding communities.

Program Objectives

The program objectives will help us to reach our final goals. The first target is to ensure

the marketing trainees possess communication and problem-solving skills. Trainees must

understand basic marketing principles and know how to apply them. Trainees can demonstrate

effective communication skills through social media and problem solving within team

collaboration. The final objective is trainees must show the use of information technology.

Part II: Needs Analysis

Byevaluatingtheleveloforganizationalneedsandexaminingwheretheweaknessesare

aneedsanalysiswillhelpdetermineproblemareaswithintheMarketingDepartment.By

identifyingthegapsintheorganizationortheneedtoimprovethecurrentstateofknowledge,

skills,andperformancebyemployeesacompanycanplanforthefutureandsetobjectivesto

reachthegoals.Whenanorganizationseesaneedsanalysisisinorder,onemustassesswhat

leveloftrainingisnecessary.Tofindoutwhattrainingaparticulardepartmentneeds,thetrainer

willknowwhattrainingwillbehelpfultotheMarketingDepartment.Theinstructorwilldefine

thecurrentrequirementsoftheMarketingDepartmentandidentifytheneedsforimprovement

includingareasthatareunderperforming.TherequirementsoftheMarketingDepartmentisata
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criticalpoint,andtherecanbeconsequencesifthedepartmentdoesnotmeetitsgoalsthisyearto

markettheuniversity.TheUniversityofDelawarewilluseInformalinteractionswithcolleagues,

friends,family,andacquaintances,performanceandproductreviewsandinterviews.

Interviews:

Interviewswillallowthetrainertofindoutwhatconcernsthestaffinthemarketing

departmenthaveconcerningindividualsconsistentlyunderachieving.Interviewswillgather

informationaskingwherearetheopportunitiesforchangeandhowwecanimproveourskill

sets,knowledgeandabilitytocommunicateeffectivelywiththecampuscommunityaswellas

thesurroundingcommunities.Byconductinganinterview,thiswillhaveapositiveimpactadult

learningastheintervieweescanprovidevaluableinformationaboutwhattheyknowandwhat

theyhopetolearn.Interviewscanbeflexibleandanefficientwaytocollectinformationon

employeesintheMarketingDepartment.

PerformanceandProductReviews:

Thetrainermustdeterminethecurrentstateofperformancewithinthemarketing

department.Theanalysisthroughperformancereviewprovidesinsightandsolutionsonthe

problems,theopportunities,anychanges,strengths,whatdirectionmarketingisgoinginanda

needfortraining.Productreviewscanhelpthetrainerfindoutwhattypeofgoodsandservices

wearecurrentlyofferingourcustomersthatcometogamesoreventsoncampus.Other

questionssuchaswhatchangesaretakingplaceintheindustry,areweaddressingcustomer

complaintswithquickfeedback.

Groupsessions:
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Askingquestionsinsmallergroupsallowsinteractionandthoughtprovokingdetailsthat

wouldnothavecomeoutformostindividuals.Brainstormingallowsotherstosharetheir

thoughtsandideasconcerningwhattrainingisneededandwhatskillsdeficienciesarepresent.

Thegroupcangiveitssuggestiononwhattrainingwillworkbestandwhointhegroupwill

benefitthemostfromthetraining.Thegroupdiscussioncanhelpfigureoutthegapsintraining

andsuggestwhatnewtrainingthemarketingdepartmentcandeveloptohelpotherslearn

("Skillnets",2013).Thegroupscanalsosuggestwhatthebestmethodoftrainingisandfind

whatresourcesareavailableandworkbestforthedepartment.

PartIII:Budget

A budget is vital for any organizations to ensure there are funds set aside for employee

development. Establishing a budget will help to allocate funds for the marketing department.

Setting a budget will allow continuous training for the marketing department employees is

enabling them to hone their skills and knowledge they need to perform each day efficiently on

the job. The training budget ensures employees can train learning how to stay ahead of the

industry and marketing technics. By budgeting money for training in different departments, this

allows funds to be distributed accordingly and accomplish the universities goals for the year.

Having a budget set in place each year will help the university know capital costs,

running costs, staffing costs, and operational costs along with training. Knowing what money is

coming in also contributes to balance the budget from donations, fundraising events, ticket sales,

and other activities, such as concerts, special speakers, and other venues that bring in money. The

budget must be realistic and taken seriously also allowing for unexpected expenses. Everyone at

the university can help keep the budget in line by watching costs such as overtime, reduce waste,

and eliminate travel and entertainment. The university is aware of how valuable training and
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development are to everyone in the campus community. By preparing a budget and developing a

training program for the marketing department, this will ensure success for the marketing

department and the university.

The marketing department depends on a certain amount of training each year, and this

can be the difference success and failure depending on the skills of the employees. Another

reason training is crucial to any organization is technology is moving so fast. Employees have to

train in their particular field, but individuals also must learn the newest technology to stay ahead

of the competition. Technology changes, services change along with products and new market

entries. By budgeting a certain amount of money for the marketing department, they will be able

to improve their marketing skills. Developing their marketing skills will enable employees to

market the university better and also help them to reach their goals and the goals of the

university. Below is an outline for training in the marketing department.

Training Course: Marketing

Development

Training
Expense Items Quantity Unit Cost Number Total Budget

Expense
Technical 2 days $600.00 X2 $1200.00

Support/Venue
Equipment 2 days $800.00 X2 $1600.00
Trainer 2 days $400.00 X2 $800.00

Costs/Personnel
Handouts 15 Trainees $200.00 $200.00
Travel Costs Trainer $1200.00 X2 $1400.00

Special airfare/lodging
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Accommodations
Refreshments 2 days $100.00 X2 $200.00
Subscriptions Publications $1200.00 $1200.00
Marketing 15 Trainees $70.00 $70.00

Guides
Supplies 15 Trainees $20.00 X15 $300.00
Total 2 days $4690.00 X2 $7170.00

Source of Income:

Source
Category Description Funding
Government State of $3,359,333.00

Delaware
Donations Outside Donors $1,127,874.00
Grants Per year per $5,815.00

qualifying

student
Miscellaneous Alumni $1.222 billion

Part IV: Staffing Plan

To ensure a successful training program staffing is a paramount part of the process.

Choosing a staff is as important as choosing the right training techniques while making certain

the training has sufficient staff with the right skills and experience to teach others.

Trainer:

The first staff member will be the trainer from an outside company with expertise and

experience in marketing. He or she will be responsible for training and development for all

trainees from the marketing department attending the training the training program. The trainer
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will give two days of training. The trainer must have marketing experience, management

experience, and training skills. He must have a degree in marketing or media relations along with

knowing how to develop and implement an educational curriculum. The trainer will hold a two-

day training program with the help of internal experts, such as the director and two managers

from the marketing department and other additional resources that are available. Everyone will

be in the training program for the entire two days of instruction.

Internal Resources:

The internal employees will assist the trainer conducting the program as they possess the

same skills in marketing. The director has been with marketing for 20 plus years, and one

manager has half that experience. The other manager is brand new to the university and the

marketing department, just graduating from college with a marketing degree. The training will

help the new manager learn the most up to date marketing skills needed to succeed in this new

position.

External Resources:

Considering many of factors that contribute to the training that we need for the marketing

department external resources will benefit teaching in-house at the university. The trainer will be

someone the University is familiar with and has built a trusting relationship with over time.

Some training materials will come from external resources shared in the classroom.

Additional Resources:

To support our employees and help them to continue to grow and be successful we also

have other resources. Senior staff will have smaller training sessions for junior staff in skill
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building improving existing ones and help them to learn new skills. Those employees that have

been around for a while can share their experiences and knowledge without any costs to the

department.

Filling Resource Gaps:

The marketing department will also leverage resources that are unused at the University.

Using these resources is a great way to train while not spending any additional money.

Employees can be encouraged to continue self-improvement, learning new technical skills,

creating a culture of awareness. One on one coaching can drive employees in the right direction

encouraging them to use their unique attributes and learning styles.

Staff Performance Evaluation:

As part of the universities efforts to evaluate the marketing training program, there will

surveys and questionnaires sent via email to employees allowing them to express how the feel

about the training. By allowing employees to openly communicate this will help the university

stay on track figuring out what is working and what needs improvement. The trainer feedback

will enable employees to provide their reaction concerning how they feel about the training. Did

the learner gain new knowledge, skills, and are the workers applying their new found skills on

the job!

Part V: Stakeholders and Goals

Stakeholders Partnershipgoal Waystobuildsupport

Employees Helpmarketingreach Communicatechanges,

itsrevenueandprofit sharesuccesses,celebrate
potential. milestones,andsupport
theemployeesasthey
representtheUniversity.
Donors Desiredoutcomesthat Communicatewith
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supportthevision donors,local
communities,agencies,
pressuregroupstobuild
anunderstandingofaims.
Customers Recommendingthe Communicatewithclients
universitytoother buildingarelationshipof
potentialcustomers. trustgivingfeedbackand
establishsupportas
expertsintheindustry.
LocalCommunities Helpstheuniversity Awillingnessto
keepitscompletive contributetocharitable
edgeandprovidesthe andsocialcauses.
communitywithskilled
workforce.
Alumni Fundraising Cultivateandestablish
fundraisingopportunities
andmatchingfunds.
OutsideVendors Tobuildtheirbrandof Allowvendorsto
merchandise introducenew
applicationsorsolutions
lowercostsandbecoming
moreproductive.

Part VI: Communication Plan

Communication is key to getting the right message across and proper planning is where

we start. The plan for communication is to know what the audience wants, how to keep their

attention, and basically, sell them on the idea of change is good! The plan is to ensure we are

informing the relevant people at appropriate times with essential information concerning the

training program. The university will provide personnel who will attend the training program

will know with a prior discussion why they are attending the training with a constant open

dialogue until training day.

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Marketing Message: Slogan, Logo and Fact Sheet

(Eaton, 2010). Around the Globe for Success

Fact Sheet:

Marketing around the Globe for Success

Marketing Training Program

University of Delaware

Participants: New and current marketing employees including managers.

Where: University of Delaware video conference room on the main campus (Smith Hall).

When: July 24-July 26, 2017.

How long: 2 days

Contacts: Stephanie Pickering, HR Liaison, Nancy Cotter (Operations Manager upstairs)

Benefits of Training:

Ensuring the marketing team is plugged into the same communication system. The

training will help improve communication throughout the marketing department.

Communication is the most important tool in marketing your organization. Every marketing

employee will learn the responsibility of communication and how to enhance their marketing
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skills (Jahred, 2013). The benefits of training will inform, train, motivate, and improve

productivity, for effective marketing in todays world.

Instructional Practices Positive Impact on Adult Learning:

Effective training is the key to developing the desired outcome for adult learning. The

impact this training will have for the adult learner will allow each person to become more social

possibly learning in a new way. Marketing employees training together will allow them to share

values, experience, and knowledge while connecting with others in a new way. Trainees will

participate in their learning interacting with others. Actively participating will allow trainees to

gain and retain knowledge while learning more keeping the brain active. By allowing each

person to take part in the training, there will only be learning success, which in turn has a great

impact on adult learning.

Promotional Channels and Materials:

Website

A website is a great communication tool to allow information to flow like so

many people are already surfing the web to perform research and buy goods and services.

Most of the competition is already using the Internet and website is a powerful sales tool.

The "Marketing Find" (2005) website you can promote the organization around the clock

and make changes to the website when there is need. Web sites increase credibility

allowing people to refer you to others to your website. Building a website is a good way

to promote oneself in an inexpensive way. Before implementation of your website make

sure you evaluate that the product reflects the purpose, audience requirements and goals

("Webyodel", 2017).

Facebook
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More than 1.8 billion people use Facebook every month. ("Facebook

Business", 2017). With so many communication channels available today, such as email,

presentations, social media to mention a few it is important to approach the exchange in a

systematic way. The university currently communicates through all of the above, but

Facebook with such a broad audience will be the best way to convey messages to our

target audiences. The university also maintains a website where anyone at the university

can get the latest news to include departmental news and happenings across campus.

Social media has such an impact on todays everyday lives; this will be a good

way to implement this communication tool allowing the program trainers to reach those

who need to know what is going on.

With so many people using Facebook to communicate, marketing helps you find

new customers while building a brand and lasting relationships. There are so many uses

for Facebook, allowing organizations to reach out to current and potential customers.

Keeping with your brand will keep customers coming back for more information about

your industry and current events. Facebook allows others to share your page doing the

marketing for you.

Before implementation of Facebook have a set of goals concerning what you want

from the site. Do your research to identify your audience, competition, and understand

the latest Facebook techniques. Design the Facebook page, measure the progress and do

not forget to access and tweak your strategy when there is a need (Vahl, 2013).

At the end of the program, assessment will be done to determine the effectiveness

of the training and how the employees of the marketing department have developed and

are using their new skills to enhance their marketing and communication skills.
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Part VII: Program Evaluation

The final stage of the program is the evaluation process, which is crucial to find out if the

training is having an effect. The evaluation will help the university make decisions concerning

what is working and what needs improvement. The evaluation assist in determining the

processes, goals, and outcomes while identifying areas that may need improvement. The

individuals responsible for evaluating the program are the trainer, trainees, and the marketing

managers.

Individuals Responsible for evaluating the program:

In this program, the trainer, marketing management, the trainees, and the senior

management have a responsibility to evaluate the training program. The senior marketing

management team will be instrumental in driving the change and should evaluate the results of

the training program. The trainer should be open to honest feedback from the trainees and how

they feel about the program and the trainers need to take a look at the results of the evaluation so

they can make any changes and implement those changes to the program. Finally, the trainees

need to ensure they provide frequent feedback and give their opinion on how the training can be

useful in the day-to-day in the workplace.

Purpose of the evaluation:

The purpose of the evaluation is to measure the effectiveness of the training program and

the results of the training. The purpose is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the program

implementation and program effectiveness. Program evaluation can help improve needed

changes within the program providing essential information, for good decision making,

deployment of resources and knowing the quality of the program design.

Positive impact on Adult Learning:

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The positive impact on adult learners ensures the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and

impact of the program and the evaluation. A positive impact will be if the program is meeting the

expectations and outcomes of the program, for the adult learner.

Metrics to be used:

The metrics to be used are those introduced by Donald Kirkpatrick (Cushard, 2015).

Those are learner satisfaction, knowledge acquisition, behavior change, results, and return on

investment. Learner satisfaction is if the training was effective and the learner is satisfied with

the training. Knowledge acquisition is if the learner can demonstrate and pass a proficiency test.

Behavior change measures if a learner can demonstrate the actions and behaviors learned in the

program. Success in the program is when the learners see improvements in the results

(Cushard, 2015). The return on investment is the last metric with positive results for financial

growth.

Evaluation Type:

The evaluation type to be used is summative evaluation. The evaluation type is useful because it

can give crucial feedback about the training program looking for weaknesses and search for

improvements within the program. The summative evaluation will find out what the program

achieved. The summative evaluation is not about who or how many trainees attended the training

but is there an increase in knowledge and outcomes in marketing.

Data Collection Techniques and when the data will be collected:

The data to be collected is quantitative, such as document reviews, surveys, interviews

(one-on-one), and questionnaires (McNamara, n.d.). The data will be collected during the

training, several times throughout the program, and after the training is complete.

Conclusion
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The University of Delaware is committed to helping their employees continue to be

successful. By implementing a training program for the marketing employees, the University will

give them the tools they will need now and in the future to succeed. With improvements in

technology it is easier for employees to learn, train, and interact while acquiring new skills.

Training will ensure that the Marketing Department will continue to be successful in getting the

message out about our University while coming up with money making ideas to make a better

future for our students and the campus community.

References

Cushard, B. (2015). Gainsight. Retrieved from http://www.gainsight.com/customer-success-best

practices/training-metrics-customer-success/

Eaton, Dr. S. E. (2010). . Image Retrieved from

https://drsaraheaton.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/successfully-promoting-and-marketing-

your-language-program-a-webinar/

Jahred, L. (2013). Wealth Mission Possible. Retrieved from

http://wealthmissionpossible.com/network-marketing-training-why-its-important/

Marketing Find. (2005). Retrieved from http://Jahred, L. (2013). Wealth Mission Possible.

Retrieved from http://wealthmissionpossible.com/network-marketing-training-why-its-

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important/

McNamara,C.MBA.PhD.LLC.(n.d.).FreeManagementLibrary.Retrievedfrom

http://managementhelp.org/evaluation/programevaluationguide.htm

Skillnets.(2013).Retrievedfrom

http://www.skillnets.ie/sites/skillnets.ie/files/imce/u7/tna_guide_2013.pdf

Vahl,A.(2013).SocialMediaExaminer.Retrievedfrom

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/4easystepstoimplementafacebookmarketing

strategy/

WebYodel.(2017).Retrievedfromhttp://webyodel.com/8mainreasonsforhavingawebsite/