Last month, says Kevin Beales, a Government report ‘exposed’ the estimated £275 million wasted on ineffectual training courses by the Civil Service. The National Audit Office estimated that hundreds of millions of pounds every year is wasted putting staff through expensive training courses that do not work.

Just £275 million! Really? I would suggest that is just the tip of the iceberg.

A meeting with a public sector prospect last week revealed that all employees, from the chief executive down, had a series of 'mandatory training courses' annually. But the challenge was that many never turned up, as they were unable to secure a parking spot for a course that started after 9am at their notoriously difficult to park HQ. And these attendees travelled throughout the county (I won't name names) to attend these courses – or not, as the case may be. Loss of productivity, wages and travel costs – and we haven't even started on the costs of training.

The 'sheep-dip' approach to training is, unfortunately, still alive and kicking. Yet simple pre-training assessments can highlight existing knowledge and eliminate training that clearly adds no value to an individual or the organisation, while still providing the audit trail of compliance that is the real driver behind many mandatory courses.

Better still, highlight any knowledge gaps and guide individuals to personalised learning where learning interventions – in the classroom, online or in available resources – can address training needs of any size without wasted time, effort and money.

While most leading companies have embraced the use of learning technologies to increase the effectiveness of learning and self-development, with notable exceptions, this adoption has been slower across the public sector. Perhaps it is the bureaucracy of such organisations that has failed to embrace the opportunities technology offers to eliminate 'ineffective training'. But in these times of austerity, does this not represent the perfect opportunity to provide learning interventions that genuinely develop individuals and organisational performance?

Of course, there is far more to effective training and personnel development than online assessments, e-learning and learning management systems. A learning culture that encourages social and informal learning, embraces self-development and fosters workplace learning is not achieved with technology alone. But to achieve such an organisational culture and maximise the impact of learning without the aid of technology is akin to climbing Everest while hopping.

So can the Civil Service embrace change to make training more effective? Our experience is that such change is almost always positively received by individuals. No-one wants to attend a course that they learn nothing from and often it is hard for an individual to recognise a training need or knowledge gap.

Assessing knowledge to determine training needs can also ensure a more receptive audience who know why they are there, recognising a development opportunity that will enhance their own and organisational performance. It also enables trainers to personalise courses based on results, areas to focus on and grouping those of similar existing knowledge and needs, increasing the impact and ROI of training (that can again be measured).

While accepting assessments and technology are just part of the answer, they are tools that can eliminate the recognised challenge across much of the Civil Service and help reduce the wasted money spent on ineffective training.

Kevin Beales is managing director of online assessment provider, The Test Factory