Businesses who considering offering a commercially viable educational service or product must investigate if there is a business case. The first questions to be asked are; is there a need ? how can this need be addressed ?
Generally, in the commercial training sector there are 3 areas:
1. Standard courses for individual participants
2. Tailored solutions for organisations
3. Tools to deliver content or “off the shelf” products
The standard course is offered directly to individuals. The aim of a standard course is to regularly offer a specific training program that will be well visited. It is marked by two factors; demand and competitive advantage. The demand is most often determined by the value the participant will receive by completing the course. This is either a professional qualification that will enhance the chance of employment, or, continuing education that is necessary to uphold a vocational qualification. The competitive advantage is based on price, quality, length and recognised qualification.
The tailored solution evolves from a contract between two parties. This is often a one time contract to facilitate a specific training course for a participant group. There is one customer and contact is not between the provider and the individual participants but the provider and an organisation. Tailored solutions are therefore not targeted at participants and the provider will be judged not just on the ability to deliver quality of content, reputation and price, but also the ability to deliver the service, the method of delivery and reliability.
Education solutions or “tools” can range from printed material through multi-media to special equipment for hands on experience. The initial boom of Multi Media or “e-lerning” and its subsequent failure has shown that the market cannot be blended by technology and what is possible. Good content and sound methodical didactic is paramount.
In the field of disaster medicine the need for trained staff in a disaster is indisputable. The basic need is also adequately addressed through the NGO’s and public safety agencies. The requirement to provide basic disaster medicine training is an intimate part of many of these organisations mission and public commitment. Hence, for training courses such as “First Aid”, and “ERV” etc a business case does not exist. In fact there is no business case for any standard disaster medical course. Apart from individual subject interest there are no vocational positions in disaster medicine. The nearest area to disaster medicine where a sustainable market exists is emergency medicine. The courses being offered are based on “standards” i.e. Ambulance Techncian and Paramedic. These can be connected with employment opportunity as the “participance value”.
Within the NGO and public safety agency sector there is a need for tailored services and content delivery solutions within these. The challenges of today’s “threat landscape” are diverse and overwhelming. The expectations of the population are often unfair given the resources and financing available. Organisations and institutions involved in the protection of the population, and more specifically the management of mass casualties, have to assure that staff and volunteers learn and retain information and skills that are not in anyway “normal practice”. These skills are however absolutely critical in the unfortunate situation of for example, a transit bombing, biological or chemical attack, pandemic flu etc. A daunting task !
The market need in this sector is crystallising as the ability to deliver specialised and targeted content to facilitate educating large numbers of participants. This content should be codeveloped by experts and the contracting body to assure synchronization with organisational procedures and policies. The method of delivery must taking into account scarce physical resources and budget constraints yet providing accountability and high didactical value.
This means reviewing where is capital and time better spent. Does a participant have to be present in a classroom for 100% of the course? or is it economically and didactically better to break down content into that which can be the participants can learn individually at their own pace and that which must be demonstrated, instructed or simulated. Examples of such methods are mixtures between tailored solutions and the use of tools such as blended e Learning (MYFISTO) and table top exercises (Emergo Train) and high quality simulations (Steel Henge).
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