Prerequisite:You've done a performance assessment, determined that training is appropriate for your organization, and educated yourself on available options. 

Now - let's discriminate between options. First, we must observe some ground rules: 

1) No training option is always best. 
2) For the advantages listed below to be real, training must be well-designed and delivered. 
3) All training options, including OJT and self-study, cost money. 

On-the-Job Training (OJT) - Works well for small numbers of trainees. Very flexible. Allows individual pacing. Very job- relevant and efficient. Can enhance teambuilding. Can be less expensive than other forms of training. BUT: Is not practical if many trainees require training in short timeframe. Is not suitable for complex jobs unless training cycle time can be long or training is supplemented by other forms of training. Is often not well-designed or skillfully executed. Quality problems are common. 

Self-Study Training - Works well for small numbers of trainees. Very flexible. Individual pacing. Can be less expensive than other forms of training. BUT: Is not suitable for complex job tasks. Often only partial learning of a task takes place. Requires technical materials and/or supplemental training materials. 

Vendor Training - Works well for groups. Typically is for specialized training on equipment or software. Training provider sometimes knows the subject extremely well. Training development costs are usually not incurred. BUT: Can be very expensive. Limited control over training quality. Can fail to address how equipment or software is used in actual work environment. Limited ability to customize. Materials are often proprietary, prohibiting further in-house training use. Often there is no evaluation of what trainees learned. 

Computer-Based Training (CBT) - Trainee can often control content, sequence, pace, and scheduling. Lifecycle costs are often less than other forms of training. Very efficient learning. Retention is very high. Excellent vehicle for refresher training. Simulation capabilities are very good and often provide an effective, safe alternative to training on actual equipment. BUT: Development/startup costs are high. Is cost-prohibitive for one-time training events. Cannot provide actual "hands-on" training on equipment (but can be supplemented with hands-on). 

Instructor-Based Training - Works well for groups. Can be very job-relevant. Person-to-person interaction is usually good unless group is very large. Is very suitable when multiple trainees require training at the same time. BUT: Sometimes weak in meeting individual needs, particularly if trainee group is large or diverse. May be difficult to schedule. Not noted for flexibility. Does not lend itself to refresher training. Trainees are "on-their-own" when the training is complete. 

The Certification and Training Group can help you decide what's best for your organization.