about nelson training

I started Nelson Training in 2001 after spending nearly 20 years as a manager, trainer and training consultant at Solihull College. In running my own company I have tried to eliminate the major turn-offs in training and conferences, namely endless PowerPoint slides, long boring speeches/lectures, and getting people to role play!

We try to make our sessions both highly entertaining and effective and it even works well when you have reluctant 'conscripts' who really do not want to be there! We use a variety of training tools but our biggest success has been with using interactive drama. We design (with your help) relevant sketches depicting everyday scenarios that you and your colleagues encounter in your business life.

Months of shadowing and research in organisations like yours mean that we have a stock of knowledge to use to help us tailor training to suit you. The results have paid off.

From 2001 when we had just a handful of clients we now have over 300 clients in 6 different countries. I am proud that we have won 6 awards including a National Training Award with our partners Bristol City Council in December 2006 where we also won a City & Guilds award for best training collaboration. In 2007 alone we trained and entertained at 14 conferences including one for 470 Pest Controllers in Brisbane, Australia. This year we have once again won a National Training Award with our partners Whitefriars Housing for a successful absence management programme.

Please take a look at our web site. Speak to our clients. View our wide range of DVD's that we have made for clients and which bring a radical new approach to your training, awaydays and conferences. Relax in the knowledge that any session we deliver for you will be great fun and achieve your training objectives.

Try us.

Training will never be the same again!

Viv Nelson
Managing Director

Left to right: Jon Mortimer, Alyson Veale (BCC), Nadine Smith (BCC), Viv Nelson, Lee Farley and Kevin Tillett at the 2006National Training Awards ceremony.

For more information on our 2006 National Traing Award click here

Nelson Training and Whitefriars staff collect their National Training Award from athlete Colin Jackson. From left to right: Kevin Tillett, Betty Coltrane, Simon Wright, Colin Jackson, Jon Mortimer, Judith Ryder, Viv Nelson, Rachel Hobbs.

For more information about our 2008 National Training Award click here

“I’ve worked for 35 years and attended many courses. This has been the best by far”
Geoff Lee
Passenger Services Coordinator
Bristol City Council

“Brilliant! Entertaining - the best course I’ve ever been on”
Lindsay - Team Leader
Uniservice

“A wonderful change from ‘traditional’ training. Highly entertaining and all attending learned something”
Michael Solomon
Director, DCAS
New York

Drama based training?
Don't let the title put you off! No-one has to do any embarrassing role play. Instead the delegates become directors as scenes depicting everyday problems encountered at work are acted out in front of them.
Using something called ‘Forum Theatre’ we then get the delegates to give feedback to the actor who stays in character so that they can tell him or her how it should be done.
The scene is then replayed with the actor trying to do things right. Every time he or she strays from the path the delegates have advised, the delegates shout “stop” and put the actor right.
The sessions are highly interactive, lively, entertaining, fun, funny and very effective at demonstrating behaviours and techniques that get results. We do not generally limit the group size so we are frequently asked to deliver at corporate events and conferences.

Do you use any conventional training methods?
Yes, we do and we ensure that these are tried and tested individual or group activities that link to the drama and are exactly what the group needs.
We guarantee that there are no long boring lectures but there are before, during and after the drama workshops short inputs from the trainer to steer the group in certain directions.

How can Nelson training help us?
In many ways! How about getting us to deliver training to your front line staff who deal with an ever demanding public in handling conflict and customer care? Or give your managers the opportunity to brush up their management interpersonal skills in one of our sessions on giving feedback, coaching, discipline interviewing or staff appraisal?
Or perhaps you would like us to work with your training staff to help them revolutionise the way that training is delivered so that they too can harness the performing arts to their training.