What is non-formal training in the workplace? A complete guide for L&D managers

Non-formal training in the workplace is today one of the most important pillars of talent development. Unlike formal education, it does not lead to an official qualification, but it offers something equally valuable: the ability to learn exactly what is needed, when it is needed, and in the format best suited to each team. According to LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their learning and professional development. In this guide, you will find everything you need to know to design, implement, and measure a non-formal training plan that generates real impact in your organisation.

What is non-formal training?

Non-formal training refers to any learning process that does not form part of the official state-regulated education system. It does not lead to an academic qualification with official validity (such as a university degree or vocational qualification), but it can generate certificates, accreditations, or simply knowledge and competencies that can be applied directly to the job.

From an Excel course on the internal training platform to a tailored leadership programme, or a series of microlessons on the new sales protocol: all of this is non-formal training. In the corporate context, non-formal training is the most common form of continuous learning — the kind that allows organisations to respond quickly to new challenges, close skills gaps, and keep their teams aligned with business objectives.

Formal vs. non-formal training: key differences

Understanding the differences between both modalities is essential for making good decisions as an L&D professional. It is not a matter of one being better than the other, but of knowing when and what each one is for.

For most corporate training needs — onboarding, upskilling, compliance, product launches, soft skills — non-formal training is the most agile and cost-effective option.

Types of non-formal training in the workplace

One of the great strengths of non-formal training is its versatility. It can take many different forms depending on the objective, the employee profile, and the available resources:

• E-learning and online courses: asynchronous programmes accessible from any device. Ideal for scaling training to large or geographically distributed teams.
• Microlearning: learning pills of 3 to 10 minutes focused on a single concept. Highly effective for reinforcing knowledge without demanding large blocks of time from employees.
• Blended learning: combines face-to-face and digital sessions, leveraging the strengths of both formats.
• Mentoring and coaching: structured knowledge transfer between experienced and junior professionals. High impact for leadership and skills development.
• On-the-job training (OJT): learning directly in the work environment, through practical tasks, rotation, or direct supervision.
• Communities of practice: groups of professionals who share knowledge and best practices around a common area of expertise.
• Webinars and virtual events: short sessions to update knowledge, share trends, or present new tools or processes.

Advantages of non-formal training for companies

Non-formal training is not simply a cheaper alternative: it is a strategic tool that, when well designed, generates real return. These are its main advantages in the corporate environment:

• Total flexibility: it adapts to the objectives, timelines, and resources of each company. There are no fixed curricula or external schedules to follow.
• Speed of deployment: an e-learning programme can be operational in days or weeks, compared to the months required by any formal qualification.
• Scalability: the same learning pill can reach 10 or 10,000 employees with the same production effort — especially with the right authoring tool.
• Personalisation: content can be tailored to the role, level, or specific need of each employee, something impossible in standard formal training.
• Controlled and potentially subsidised cost: companies can reduce training spend significantly through public funding schemes that subsidise non-formal learning activities.
• Direct impact on the business: because content is tied to real job needs, the transfer of learning to daily performance is more direct and measurable.
• Data and continuous improvement: an LMS allows tracking completion, engagement, test scores, and ROI — enabling data-driven decisions about training strategy.

How to implement a non-formal training plan in 4 steps

Good intentions with training are not enough. Real impact comes from having a structured plan. This 4-step framework helps you design and execute non-formal training programmes in an effective and measurable way:

Step 1 — Needs diagnosis

Before creating any content, identify the skills gap: what can employees do today, and what will they need to do tomorrow? The most useful sources are performance reviews, manager interviews, analysis of common errors, or customer feedback. This step defines the learning objectives and priority audiences.

Step 2 — Programme design

With the needs clearly defined, select the most appropriate formats (e-learning, microlearning, blended, mentoring), structure the learning pathways, and produce the content. This is the phase where an authoring tool like isEazy Author makes the difference: it allows you to create interactive, professional-quality courses without technical knowledge, in a fraction of the time required by traditional tools.

Step 3 — Deployment and management

A good LMS is essential for deploying content to all employees, managing enrolments, sending reminders, and ensuring that training reaches the right person at the right time. Without a platform, management becomes a manually intensive, error-prone process.

Step 4 — Measurement and iteration

Measuring results is not optional. Define KPIs before launching (completion, knowledge gain, job application, business impact), collect data during the programme, and use it to continuously improve content and methodology. A plan that is not measured is a plan that is not improving.

Non-formal training and e-learning: the winning combination

E-learning has transformed the way companies execute their non-formal training. What once required classrooms, travel, and in-person trainers can now be delivered digitally, asynchronously, and in a personalised way to any employee, anywhere, on any device.

The combination of non-formal training and e-learning is particularly powerful because:

• It eliminates geographical and scheduling barriers — critical for distributed teams or organisations with high turnover.
• It allows content to be reused and updated without additional production costs.
• It enables personalisation of the learning pathway by role, level, or specific need.
• It generates learning data that allows the real impact on the business to be measured.

Companies like AKRON Group have leveraged this combination to drive upskilling and reskilling programmes at scale, transforming their internal training processes with measurable results in both employee development and business performance.

The role of isEazy Skills in non-formal training

Beyond creating one-off courses, the most mature L&D organisations structure their non-formal training around skills catalogues that enable employees to develop autonomously and in alignment with the company’s strategic objectives.

isEazy Skills offers a ready-to-use catalogue of over 600 courses in key areas (leadership, communication, productivity, digital skills, wellbeing, and more), perfectly integrable into any non-formal training plan. Each course is designed using a microlearning methodology to maximise retention and engagement, without requiring large blocks of time from employees.

Tools for non-formal training in companies

Choosing the right tool is key to making your non-formal training programme work. From skills platforms to specialised solutions, here are some of the most relevant options on the market:

Conclusion: non-formal training as a competitive advantage

Non-formal training is no longer an optional complement to talent strategy: it is its backbone. In a business environment where skills become obsolete in less than five years (according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report), the ability to learn with agility has become a critical organisational competency.

Companies that design well-structured non-formal training programmes — with clear objectives, appropriate formats, the right technology, and rigorous measurement — achieve better-prepared teams, stronger talent retention, and a more resilient organisation in the face of change.

If you are ready to take the next step, isEazy Author and isEazy LMS give you everything you need to create, manage, and measure non-formal training that truly makes a difference. Request a demo and discover how leading companies are transforming their L&D strategy with isEazy.