The Keys to an Effective Training Program: The Tools, Fundamentals and Innovative Approaches

Developing best practices for training for businesses and their frontline team members requires awareness of the key challenges with training and a commitment to addressing these issues through a strategic and effective training program.

A Learning Management System (LMS) should be the centrepiece of a well-designed and executed training program. Without it, you’ll find it very hard to achieve consistency among your locations and build on brand loyalty. Implementing an effective LMS at within your brand enables scalable and effective employee training, but it also includes challenges in the design and development of a training program tailored to the specific needs of your brand. Our panel of experts explored a number of challenges and best practices for implementing a Learning Management System.

There are several key challenges that need to be addressed including:

Development of a well-organized, comprehensive operations manual
Training for new hires
The power of onsite training
Administration of tests and examinations
Ongoing development regarding new policies, products, customer experience, etc.

About the Presenters

Sarah Redmond

Sarah Redmond, Group Manager - Learning & Development, The Sussan Group

Sarah has been enabling the awesome in people through development and leadership across multiple industries for the past 15 years, most recently in retail with the Sussan Group and MECCA. She has a passion for making learning the vehicle for delivering change and making a complex world simple. As a designer and self-confessed tech-nerd, she is on a journey of discovery using technology to augment and deliver learning, while continuing to facilitate both face to face and online for audiences big and small. She has a penchant for curiosity and a passion for ensuring equity in accessibility and representation.

Mel Hutchinson, Instructional Designer, San Churro

Mel Hutchinson, Instructional Designer, San Churro

After working in Retail for 20 years, in 2010 Mel entered the Vocational Education Space. She has Trained and Assessed a wide variety of learners from head chefs at some of the most exclusive restaurants here in Melbourne to working with some of the most underprivileged in our society at the Women’s prison. It was during the pandemic Mel found her passion for online learning design. Since then, she has brought her vast experience of the different ways people like to learn and has successfully translated that into interactive online modules that engage learners and help with information retention. Since joining San Churro Mel has revamped and relaunched their LMS which has taken engagement from 22% in January to an outstanding 75% in August. Mel is very excited to be on the journey with San Churro, as they continue to rapidly expand.

Toyah Carazzo

Toyah Carazzo, Creative Team Leader APAC – World Manager, a division of FranConnect

With a background spanning more than 15 years, Toyah’s career has been defined by a wealth of experience in international organizations, where she’s honed her skills in student support services, global team leadership, instructional design, and the delivery of high-quality academic programs and continuing medical education courses. In her current capacity as the Creative Lead at FranConnect, she serves with a team of instructional and graphic designers in crafting compelling eLearning experiences and branded content, providing professional support to the valued FranConnect customers.

Belinda Macdonald

Belinda MacDonald, Fantastic Furniture, Head of Learning and Development

Belinda is a highly experienced L&D specialist who focuses on creating sustainable learner centred solutions. She drives an experiential and collaborative approach that assists individuals and organisations learn from real life and on-the-job experiences, tasks and problem solving.

With experience in both corporate and tertiary settings, Belinda is passionate about continuous learning and reflective practice across organisations.

Belinda is currently partnering with Fantastic Furniture Leaders in creating solutions to achieve their strategic people goals of engagement, growth and retention.

Keith Gerson, CFE, President of Franchise Ops, FranConnect

Keith Gerson brings 40+ years of executive level expertise as a passionate and driven Franchisor and Franchisee with a proven track-record in building rapid-growth, and highly profitable franchise organizations. Over the last eight years, Keith has served as President and Chief Customer Advocate for FranConnect where he has been able to work closely with many Executive Boards and Leadership Teams that are part of FranConnect’s portfolio of 1500+ brands and 325,00 locations. His focus is on helping franchisors to get to their desired future state in sales, operations, communications, and engagement. Recognized in franchising circles for his extensive leadership experience, and ability to drive execution, Keith is a highly-rated keynote speaker and has had the rare opportunity to have created several leading franchise systems from their very conception through launch and sustained growth taking these systems from micro-emerging status to that of successful enterprise level brands.