How Training as a Group for PMP® Certification Can Benefit Your Company

Be the hero in your company by suggesting a group PMP exam prep training that saves money! In-house group training for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification is becoming more and more popular with Project Management Academy customers, and for good reason. As outlined in another article, "Five Reasons Employers Prefer PMP Certification", many requests for proposals are specifically including the PMP certification by key personnel as a requirement. As such, many companies find themselves scrambling to get their employees certified quickly. In other cases, companies simply wish to keep up with industry standards by having their project managers certified, or to help ensure that past project failures do not reoccur.

Whatever the motivation, there are several good reasons to receive your PMP exam prep training as a group. This article examines more closely some of the major benefits you will realize under this model.

I. Group training is more cost-efficient and minimizes work disruptions.

In-house trainings offer substantial discounts versus individual rates for public courses. While discount pricing is available if you wish to buy multiple vouchers for individual courses, in-house group trainings always offer the lowest possible pricing. In addition to saving on course tuition, your team members will avoid extraneous costs like travel and meals when utilizing the group training option.

See the savings on group training!

This model also helps avoid a complete loss of productivity during the training days. While the team members must leave work matters completely aside during actual class time, their presence at the office can often help things continue running smoothly during the course. Because the class is customizable in terms of the daily schedule, you can build in longer breaks for people who need to check in on certain critical work actions throughout the training. While many companies prefer to block out work items altogether during the training, others are simply not in a position to do so.

II. Your team members will have greater buy in with this model.

Training as a group allows your team members to have a more interactive and open training experience. Students are less hesitant to ask questions or offer comments when they are in a group of their co-workers, and the group discussion is greatly enhanced as a result.

When it comes to taking and passing the exam quickly, students who train as a group tend to be more motivated. This becomes very important when business considerations require the team members to get certified quickly (i.e. when certification is required in order to bid on a contract). Because everyone is going through the same challenge, a form of healthy competition generally helps nudge the team members along.

While nobody ever wants to fail an exam, those taking it around the same time as their co-workers generally take their preparation more seriously. Team members also tend to study/review as a group after class, such as over lunch or on breaks, and this is an excellent opportunity to resolve any uncertainties which may not come to light during class. Collective brainpower is a powerful resource, and this model capitalizes on that to the greatest extent, both during and after class.

III. The processes and techniques can be discussed in the context of your specific workplace.

An instructor training a company for their pmp certification In terms of workplace enhancement and process improvement, this is clearly the greatest benefit. The processes and techniques underlying the PMP certification are, by necessity, somewhat generic. The best practices are not set forth in the context of any particular industry, because they are meant to be applicable to nearly any type of project.

The most tangible benefits occur, however, when the principles and methods can be discussed in the context of one specific organization. Failures and shortcomings that may have occurred previously can be discussed, along with the particular techniques and approaches that will help avoid them in the future. Likewise, those tools and approaches which have led to success can be discussed, as well as ways for maximizing their utility going forward.

IV. Your group will likely be certified more quickly.

By scheduling your training as a group, all team members start off on the same timetable. Applications can be submitted as soon as class concludes, and any uncertainties or problems with the applications can be resolved by the instructor during class. When all team members are trained together, the resulting accountability tends to counteract any tendencies to delay taking the exam.

V. You can customize the days and hours.

It is not always easy to pull a group of your key team members away from their work for four days of training. For this to be viable, companies often need to choose the dates and times for their training, and this is a major benefit of this model. Whether you prefer to have the training run for 4 consecutive days, or break it up into two sessions, you will have the chance to choose dates that work best for your organization.

In addition, you can also control the daily schedule for your training. Some organizations prefer to start earlier, work mostly through lunch, and finish earlier in the day. Others prefer a more traditional schedule with a full lunch hour and more breaks. Generally speaking, the course hours can be customized based on your particular preferences (subject to reasonable limitations).

In conclusion, in-house group trainings offer significant advantages, both in terms of cost and overall efficiency. They also provide a great opportunity for team building and cross-training, which helps foster a more productive work environment.

To learn more about Project Management Academy's group training options, please visit our Group PMP Exam Prep page or contact us to speak with a specialist (877) 637-0450.