A Time Table for Training - Can U Fix the Dates?

When i was handling corporate training, i had to draft a yearly training timetable/calendar with topics and dates. I used to draw up a time table with days and not dates. Say, i would allot 5 days for a micro-controller training in June and would specify 5 days.

Our HR manager will insist that i specify the exact dates like June 15th - June 20th. He would tell that Indian Railways trains never start on time, but they still allot a start time for every train. A vague example, but he was trying to drive home his point.

I was still convinced about just specifying days. There are many reasons for not fixing the dates. First of all, you never know when the engineers will be busy with projects. If engineers from one regional office are free, the engineers in other regional offices maybe busy. The trainer may have personal or other professional commitments. Or it could simply be a lack trainers with adequate subject knowledge. Or there could be nation-wide bandh or a bomb blast.

Nevertheless, in a fire-fighting scenario, allocating exact dates never worked. Whereas, allocating days was safe. If i could not have a training in the first week of June, i can slot the training for the 2nd week of June! But,the training is never canceled for want of attendees.

My HR manager and I looked up the yearly training calendar(brochure) of a well-established mechanical firm in India. Hooray, they had just allocated days and not dates!