A training provider who pays a relatively low, all inclusive, daily rate has said that trainers are responsible for providing all their own materials - this to include copying handouts and slides etc as well as the provider's own evaluation forms.
Is this reasonable? Maybe I have been fortunate so far (in 15 years) to have had copying done by the provider or the end client, so would like to sound out the TrainingZone community on this.
Thanks in anticipation of your responses.
Jenny
5 Responses
Photocopying
Hi Jenny
Firstly I would be interested to know what is in their ToB/contract with the client, does it state that they will provide all learning materials etc.? Also what’s in your contact with them? Sound like they are trying to keep/increase their margins not by raising fees to clients but by cutting costs. If I were a client I would be concerned about quality/consitancy of materials, photocopies are not quality materials and I suspect that trainers will now keep handouts to a minimum.
Recently I have also heard from other trainers that some providers are not paying expences for travel and/or overnight accommodation etc in order to appear competetive to clients, so trainers are travelling at their own expense and often travelling great distances at the crack of dawn to deliver a full days training! again a quality issue.
A lot of these providers have high overheads and vast administrations to pay for and if the client won’t pay then they will take from their trainers, big is not always beautiful, independants and freelancers often provide better value for money to clients.
Angela
O D Innovations
Copying
Thanks for your thought Angela. I am also concerned about quality control. I should have said copying materials, not photocopying! I assume they will want us to print off the copies so that they are in full colour etc. I don’t have a binding machine, so I don’t know how that will work if there are enough handouts to need binding!
Jenny
Use A CD
If you have to copy materials (handouts) you might consider copying them all as PDFs on a CDROM and giving this out – a lot cheaper than paper (and greener!)
Jeremy
email the learners in advance
as part of the joining instructions or pre-work send the program attendees pdf copies of the handouts – shifting both responsibility and cost. This is commonly what I do in a corporate environment (email or host on a SharePoint).
Mark
A bit of a stretch
Jenny
A training company should be responsible for the design and production of the materials used to provide the service to their client. If they outsource this then a payment should be made.
I believe it is a bit of a stretch for an associate to be expected to produce ‘tangible’ materials. These materials are ‘material’ to the successful delivery of the service the training company has contracted for with their client. To relinquish this to someone else could be an abdication of that responsibility and fraught with legal risks (who owns what).
As for travelling; this is not material to the successful delivery of the service and the associate has made a choice as to whether to undertake the work notwishstanding the training company should have made the associate aware of the location.
I am aware of an increasing number of purchasers, for legitimate commercial reasons, stating that travelling expenses are limited or non existant.
Hope this helps.
Peter