In-House Training vs Open Courses: How Dublin Employers Can Choose

Choosing between in-house training vs open courses is one of the first practical decisions a Dublin employer faces when planning staff development. In-house training (also called company-specific or on-site training) is arranged for one employer's staff. An open course is one that people from different employers attend together. Neither format is better in every case, and this guide sets out a way to decide.

A note on sources first. We looked for official pages that compare the two formats and found very little. The Skillnet Ireland pages we read describe networks and subsidised programmes but, as far as we could read, do not say whether training is delivered in-company, as open courses, or both. The comparison below is therefore mostly our suggestions, and we label it that way. Whichever format you pick, the checks in our guide on how to choose and check a professional training provider in Dublin still apply.

What the two formats mean in practice

• In-house (company-specific) training: content, dates and group are set for one employer. It can be delivered at your premises, at the provider's venue or online.
• Open courses: the provider sets the content and dates, and individuals from many employers book places.

These definitions are ours, used for the purposes of this article. Providers sometimes use the terms differently, so ask each one to describe exactly what you would get.

What official pages say, and what they do not

Skillnet Ireland's "About us" page describes it as Ireland's national workforce development agency. It says it works through Skillnet Business Networks and national initiatives, that private sector and commercial semi-state businesses can join a relevant network, and that Network Managers help firms identify suitable upskilling or reskilling programmes. The page also lists who its services exclude: public sector organisations, charity or not-for-profit organisations, and businesses based outside the Republic of Ireland. The page shows no date. It does not describe open, shared or company-specific formats, and it does not say whether businesses pay fees.

One individual network page we read (the L&D Skillnet page, also undated) says the network "designs, develops and delivers responsive, bespoke and flexible training courses" and calls its programmes "subsidised". It does not say whether delivery is in-company, open or both, and it gives no prices or subsidy levels. The Skillnet Ireland home page, again undated, refers to "subsidised upskilling and reskilling programmes" and states no co-funding rates.

What this means for you: if funding is part of your decision, ask the relevant network directly what formats it supports and what it costs, and read the official pages on the day. Our guide to Skillnet Ireland funding for employer training covers the funding side in more detail.

On quality assurance, the QQI page on evaluating provider quality assurance says QQI evaluates the quality assurance policies and procedures of its providers, and that a provider approved at both institutional and programme level can offer a QQI award to learners. The page metadata shows it was last modified on Friday 11 April 2025. It is relevant only if the course leads to a QQI award, and it does not itself tell employers what to check. Not every course leads to a QQI award, so do not assume this applies.

Our suggestions: questions that usually settle the choice

The following is a practical approach, not a legal or regulatory requirement.

• Is the need shared or individual? If several colleagues need the same skill at the same time, a single in-house session can be easier to organise. If the need is individual, an open course is usually the more natural fit.
• How much of your own material do you want used? In-house training can use your templates, systems and scenarios. An open course will normally use generic examples, which can be an advantage if you want an outside perspective.
• Is confidentiality an issue? If participants would need to discuss internal figures, clients or processes, a closed group is the safer setting.
• Do you want people to meet peers from other organisations? Open courses offer that; in-house sessions do not.
• Is a recognised qualification or certificate the goal? If so, check what the course actually leads to and who awards it. A closed session is not automatically accredited, and an open course is not automatically recognised.
• What are the total costs? Compare more than the fee. Include time away from desks, travel across Dublin, room hire and any materials, and what funding you can actually secure.
• How quickly do you need it? Open courses run on published dates. In-house sessions can be scheduled around your calendar, but need lead time to agree content.

A simple way to compare options

Write the same short brief for each option you are considering: who attends, what they should be able to do afterwards, and how you will know it worked. Ask each provider to respond against that brief. A practical approach is to score the responses on fit, evidence of the trainer's relevant experience, practicalities (location, timing, materials) and total cost, then discuss the scores with the line managers whose people will attend.

It is also reasonable to mix formats. For example, you might send one or two people to an open course to see the content first, and then decide whether a group session is worthwhile. Our overview of in-person finance courses in Dublin may help if your team works in finance and you want to see what is available face to face.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing the format before defining the need.
• Assuming that a bespoke session is automatically better value, or that an open course is automatically cheaper per person. Check both against your own numbers.
• Not asking what happens if someone cannot attend on the day, or how the provider handles questions after the session.
• Failing to keep records of attendance and content, which some professional bodies' CPD schemes or your own internal audit may ask for (check the requirements of each).
• Skipping evaluation. Decide in advance how you will check whether the training changed anything at work.

Dublin considerations

Nothing in this article is specific to Dublin; the official pages we read are national. In practical terms, a Dublin-based team can compare a central-city venue that colleagues can reach on foot or by public transport with bringing a trainer to your own office. Think about how much interruption each option causes to your normal service, particularly for teams that cannot all leave their desks at once.

Before you book

Put your decision and reasoning in writing, along with the provider's confirmation of what is included. That makes it easier to explain the choice to finance and to repeat the process next time.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is in-house training always more expensive than open courses?

We cannot say, and the official pages we read give no figures for either. Ask for written quotes for both and compare on a like-for-like basis, including time away from work and any travel.

Can Skillnet Ireland funding be used for either format?

The Skillnet Ireland pages we read do not say. They describe subsidised programmes through business networks but do not explain which formats are covered. Contact the relevant network and check the current official pages.

Does an open course give a recognised qualification?

Not necessarily. Ask the provider what the course leads to and who awards it. If the answer is a QQI award, the QQI page we read says a provider needs approval at both institutional and programme level to offer one.

What if only a few people need the same training?

That is a judgement call. Our suggestion is to start with an open course for those few people, review the results, and only then consider a group session if more demand appears.

Whichever format you choose, define the need first, compare options against the same brief, and keep a record of why you decided as you did.