From External Training Centers to an In-House Training System: Maximum Results at Minimum Cost

From External Contractors to an In-House Training System: Prerequisites for the Transition

Organizing mandatory training in occupational health and safety and industrial safety often faces the problem of a formal approach from external training centers. Selecting contractors through procurement procedures frequently leads to the contractor not having enough time to adapt the program to the specifics of the enterprise and internal regulatory documents. As a result, the company receives a standardized course disconnected from actual production processes.

In her presentation, Anna Tyutyunnik, Head of the Regulatory Training Group at the CorUnG branch of PJSC RusHydro, analyzes the practical experience of transforming the training system: from full outsourcing to independent implementation of programs. Using the example of a large energy holding, the speaker shows how a phased rejection of external contractors' services allows not only to reduce costs but also to significantly improve the quality of personnel training.

Obtaining Accreditation: Key Stages and Non-Obvious Nuances

The transition to the status of an internal training center begins with obtaining accreditation to provide services in the field of occupational health and safety (according to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 2334). The speaker examines this process in detail, focusing on practical aspects that often cause difficulties.

• Preparation of statutory documents. The wording of activities in the organization's charter must 100% comply with legal requirements. Any discrepancy (even an extra comma) can be a reason for refusal, so initiating changes to the charter of a large company should be done in advance.
• Staffing. An important difference in the new accreditation rules is the absence of a requirement to have specifically "teachers" on staff. It refers to "specialists conducting training." This allows engaging practical experts under civil law contracts (GPH), which significantly optimizes costs compared to hiring through external training centers.
• Material and technical base. Having a distance learning system (DLS) is mandatory only if the programs involve a distance format. For face-to-face training, such as working at heights, a DLS is not required.

Organizing Practical Training: Training Grounds and Interaction with Specialized Services

Special attention in the presentation is given to practical training for high-risk work (at heights and in confined and enclosed spaces). The accreditation rules do not establish strict technical requirements for training grounds, which allows creating effective training complexes on your own even with a limited budget.

To optimize costs and increase the realism of practical fire safety classes, the company has established interaction with local fire departments. This solution ensures high-quality skill development without significant additional investments in infrastructure.

Developing Programs and Integrating Training into Corporate Culture

Creating high-quality educational and methodological materials requires close interaction between methodologists and specialized experts (training customers). All presentations, practical, and test assignments undergo mandatory approval by the industrial safety department.

To solve the staffing issue and scale the training system, the company is developing an institute of internal trainers through a corporate mentoring competition. Introducing the "Safety Mentor" nomination allows identifying and training specialists from production facilities who will subsequently be able to conduct training on-site, including at new training grounds.

Transformation Results: Economics and Quality

The transition to an in-house training system allowed the company to reduce personnel training costs by 30%. At the same time, a consistently high level of quality is ensured (no lower than 8-7 points on a ten-point feedback evaluation scale). Annually, about 2,000 employees undergo face-to-face training under internal programs.

A key intangible result was the ability to fully control quality at all stages — from program development to the final knowledge check. The internal system provides flexibility in implementing new tools (for example, VR simulators and chatbots for studying instructions) without the need for lengthy procurement procedures.

What You Will Learn from This Webinar:

• How to properly prepare documents and the material and technical base to obtain HSE accreditation?
• Where to look for qualified specialists to conduct training and how to optimize the costs of attracting them?
• How to organize practical training for work at heights and in confined spaces with a limited budget for training grounds?
• What mistakes most often occur when entering data into the registers of the Ministry of Labor and how to avoid them?
• How to integrate safety issues into other corporate projects (mentoring, youth initiatives)?