Despite New Learning Technology, Instructor-Led Training Isn’t Obsolete
Many corporate learning experts have been predicting and expecting the end of Instructor-Led Training (ILT) for a long time now. With online training a staple of corporate training programs and as of late, AI-powered eLearning, it seems possible to think that traditional face-to-face training is an obsolete method.
Considered an old-fashioned and out-of-date learning delivery method, many believed it would be completely replaced by eLearning methods.
During the last 20 years, ILT has in fact been substituted by eLearning methods in some areas where e-learning is more effective, e.g. on-demand situations – those including performance support topics, such as desktop skills.
Indeed, can you even remember the last time you saw an in-person classroom-based course on Excel? Neither can I!
I have worked for nearly 20 years in corporate training and I follow closely the evolutions and the needs of our industry.
While I was, for some time, persuaded that eLearning was destined to substitute instructor-led training in all areas, and by doing so, decrease costs and improve efficiency, I now firmly believe that ILT’s superiority in areas that require social collaboration and hands-on learning is and will continue to be unrivaled.
So why is there still such a strong focus on Instructor-led training? There are four main reasons:
1. Instructor-led training is focused on learner satisfaction and empowerment
ILT-based delivery is a must for enterprise organizations looking to succeed.
Josh Bersin notes that since 2001, the corporate learning landscape has primarily been dominated with eLearning and asynchronous learning delivery methods, all with the hopes of making it easier to learn new hard and soft skills without having to invest time in the classroom.
While convenient for learners so they can “get the job done”, it is a missed opportunity for L&D teams seeking to achieve their upskilling and reskilling objectives.
30% of courses focused on sales, onboarding, leadership & executive development, and interpersonal skills, on top of the 46% of modules focusing on specific hard-skills like machine operation and equipment management have no online component.
There is no substitute for proper learning when it comes to harnessing learner potential in topics and skill sets.
Training courses should be designed to thoroughly guide learners with the necessary skills to succeed in their roles and only qualified instructors and subject-matter experts have the ability to do that.
2. Instructor-led training is scientifically more effective
The explosion of AI-powered learning technologies has grown in the past five years alone. New AI-fueled tech promises to speed up skill development and close knowledge gaps faster than before.
But the results haven’t been the best at least in terms of skills comprehension and application. Despite how sophisticated AI has become in L&D tech, ILT is unsurprisingly the key to successful upskilling and reskilling.
Not only is ILT an effective delivery method, it’s actually preferred. Between soft and hard skills needed in organizations, corporate learners found instructor-led training to be a better medium of delivery than eLearning or gamification content.
For some training programs in the corporate setting, using face-to-face delivery is a non-negotiable for learning success even as it requires expert facilitation and guidance.
According to one study by Burklund (2020), learners were able to better understand learning material and grasp comprehension of specific skills requirements.
The primary reason for the overwhelming satisfaction of ILT is unsurprising.
Among the various advantages and benefits of ILT, the study found that:
- Learners felt more comfortable learning new and intimidating material
- Feedback from the live subject-matter expert helped clear up confusion
- Learners didn’t feel lost during concept reviews or skills application exams.
If ILT isn’t going away, the primary reason is that some topics are simply much better taught live than online.
According to a 2015 Brandon Hall Group study, 56% of Instructor-Led Training modules are deemed highly effective against 21% of eLearning modules.
Your Complete Guide to Instructor-Led Training in 2026
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Discover why ILT remains the standard for learning new skills, developing better leaders, and accomplishing business objectives better than any other method.
3. Modern training operations are focused on the value that instructor-led training offers
The modern learning culture for organizations is more methodical, scientific, and process driven than ever before.
Training operations and the development of tailored L&D strategies are becoming widely implemented to equip businesses with the skills and the personnel needed to succeed.
The selection of learning delivery methods is what plays a key role in the make it or break success factors of a training program.
Corporate training needs a space for learning and that has evolved in the form of various learning academies that utilized both blended learning programs and instructor-led training courses to develop professional talent.
Deloitte opened its new Deloitte University campus in Westlake, TX in 2011 to great fanfare. This $300M facility of 700,000-square-foot, located on a 107-acre campus, provides training activities to many of Deloitte’s 260,000 associates.
Some analysts were skeptical of such a colossal project, mainly due to its high costs compared to those of e-learning infrastructures. Deloitte’s CEO, Cathy Engelbert, has countered the criticism with facts. The training facility saved the consulting giant $10 million per year and is directly responsible for $175 million of directly enabled revenue.
Similarly, FM Global asserts the centrality of ILT to its learning strategy through its recent purpose-built and resource-intensive learning center.
The FM Global Learning Center, inaugurated in June 2017, is a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly training facility near Boston. The facility, featuring different types of active learning classrooms – ‘connected’ classrooms, collaborative spaces, and more—is designed to facilitate innovative learning methods and generate ideas for both FM Global clients and employees.
Need we say more about ILT’s efficiency in growing businesses and organizations alike?
4. The modern corporate learner prefers face-to-face instruction
One would think that younger generations would prefer online learning methods like gamification or mobile learning however several studies have proven it to be the complete opposite.
As tech-savvy as millennials and Gen-Z learners can be, a majority of them in enterprise organizations still value in-classroom experiences.
Training Magazine’s employee survey of 1,200 US corporate learners found that 47% of learners preferred instructor-led, in-person training with 30% saying they preferred a more blended learning approach.
Among both new and seasoned workers, the same study found that 83% of employees found on-the-job training to be more effective that self-paced learning given online. The reason is no surprise either as in-person instruction offers a more direct delivery of skills transfer without all the noise that other methods provide.
Couple this with the fact that 69% of working professionals under 30 aspire to be executive leaders in the next five years, and it’s easy to see why many consider instructor-led training as a fundamental step in the path towards building a more seasoned professional work-force ready to take on new corporate challenges.
But what’s better? Corporate learning that needs ILT as a part of its strategy is adaptable.
Whether organizations are training those in their extended enterprise or managing a workforce that’s going global, virtual instructor-led training brings the flexibility that eLearning provides with the quality learning experience that face-to-face instruction can offer.
Learn More: 8 Tips for Successful Instructor-led Training
What’s next for the future of ILT?
The debate on whether online or in-person learning delivery methods can go on indefinitely.
However one fact is for sure certain is that tried and true instructor-led training offers the best training ROI by nearly every measure.
In fact, even in 2026 most corporate training experts agree that with the influx of more eLearning powered by AI, instructor-led training is making a comeback now more than ever.
From learner satisfaction and organization goals to skills application and professional growth. There’s no denying it! ILT isn’t extinct unless organizations choose to.
The real question is, how can you make the most of your instructor-led training programs?
From a learner perspective, you can think of blending online and offline learning and enhancing the classroom experience with connected tools, collaborative platforms, or games.
From a business perspective, technology solutions such as Training Orchestra’s Training Management System can help you improve the efficiency of classroom training by simplifying large-scale planning, optimizing resources and budgets, and significantly reducing the administrative workload.
We are not seeing the end of instructor-led training nor will we ever.
About the author: Pam Boiros is a learning strategy adviser with more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
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