If you're thinking of using a training academy which is still using workshop days as a necessary part of their training, then take note of these typical downsides met by many IT hopefuls:

- Lots of centre visits - normally hundreds of miles at a time.

- Monday to Friday accessibility to events can be usual, and with 2-3 days to book off work, this is usually problematic for many working people.

- Lost holiday days - many trainees only have 20 days holiday. If you give up at least half to your educational classes, you haven't got a great deal of holiday time remaining for students and their families.

- Workshops usually reach their maximum intake very quickly, so we end up having to take a less-than-ideal slot.

- Tension can run high in the classroom because different students want to work at different paces.

- You shouldn't forget the extra financial outlay of arranging transport and bed and breakfast for the night either. This may well run to hundreds and even thousands of pounds extra. Do the maths yourself - it'll shock and surprise you.

- A lot of attendees would like to keep their training completely private thus avoiding all come-back at work.

- Raising questions in a class full of students often makes us feel self-conscious. Have you ever left a question un-asked because you didn't want to look foolish?

- For those of us who need to sometimes live away for part of the week, think of the now-increased trouble of getting to the needed workshops, when time is at a premium.

Why not watch a video and be trained by industry specialists one-on-one from ready-made modules, studying them when it's convenient for you, not someone else. Just imagine... If you've got a laptop then you're free to work in any location you choose. And live 24x7 support is just a web-browser away at times of difficulty. It's never going to matter how regularly you feel you need to repeat something, video-based tutors are never going to run out of patience! Plus, in this situation, note-taking becomes a thing of the past. It's already there for immediate use. The bottom line: Reduced stress, saved money, and no travelling or long journeys.

A lot of trainers will only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Be wary of any training providers that use 'out-of-hours' messaging systems - with the call-back coming in during standard office hours. It's no use when you're stuck on a problem and want support there and then.

Top training companies incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is just a click away, avoiding all the delays and problems. Never ever take second best with the quality of your support. Most students who fall by the wayside, just need the right support system.

The way a programme is physically sent to you is usually ignored by most students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the order and at what speed is it delivered? Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, according to your exam schedule is how things will normally arrive. This sounds logical, but you must understand the following: How would they react if you didn't complete everything within the time limits imposed? And maybe you'll find their order of completion doesn't come as naturally as some other order of studying might.

An ideal situation would be to have all the training materials sent to your address right at the beginning; the entire thing! Then, nothing can hinder your capability of finishing.

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