Are you getting the most out of your training budget, or just ticking boxes?

We recently sat down with Steve Bentley, CEO of Sofema Aviation Services, to discuss the challenges our clients face. In a candid interview, Steve highlighted six "hard truths" about how companies currently buy and manage training-and how a few small shifts in perspective can unlock massive value.

Here is what we learned.

 

1. Your Employees Don’t Know About Their "Hidden Perks."

The Hard Truth: You are sitting on a zero-cost employee retention tool, but you aren't using it. Steve points out a common disconnect: Companies sign up as Privileged Training Partners (PTP) to secure corporate rates, but fail to tell their staff that this status extends to them personally.

"Our PTP clients receive many benefits, but they tend not to share with employees that they also receive personal benefits," Steve explains. 

The Fix: Tell your team! Every employee of a PTP client is entitled to a 15% discount on their own personal training. It costs the company nothing but encourages personal enrichment.

 

2. Managers Are Skipping the "Try Before You Buy" Phase

The Hard Truth: You are booking training blindly when you could be auditing it for free. Sofema Online offers Free of Charge (FOC) access to bona fide Quality & Training Managers for audit purposes. 

"Everyone of our 400 courses is available for Managers to review," says Steve. "Yet most do not avail of this free opportunity." 

The Fix: Don’t guess. Use your free access to verify that the training meets your specific competence development needs before you roll it out to the team.

3. "Panic Buying" is Burning Your Budget

The Hard Truth: Waiting for a regulatory "trigger" is the most expensive way to train. Some companies wait for an emergency to identify training needs. This reactive approach kills the opportunity for savings.

The Fix: Look at the future perspective. By planning ahead, you can utilize the Prepay Bonus Plan (PBP), where an investment of €4,000 grants you €5,000 in training credits-an instant 25% bonus just for being proactive.

 

4. Admin Work is Optional (If You Choose the Right Package)

The Hard Truth: Your team is drowning in invoices because you are buying "retail" instead of "wholesale." Constant ordering and chasing internal approvals for single courses is inefficient. 

The Fix: Steve highlights three solutions to stop the paperwork chase:

• Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP): Monthly subscriptions for volume access.

 

• Enrol Now Pay Later (ENPL): Consolidated monthly invoicing.

 

• Privileged Benefit Package (PBP): Prepaid credits for maximum speed.

 

5. Rushed Training = Low Competence

The Hard Truth: When you rush training to satisfy an auditor, your employee learns nothing. Leaving training to the last minute places immense pressure on the staff member.

The Fix: Sofema Online provides massive access windows - 9 months for single courses, 12 months for Packages, and 15 months for Diplomas. Book early so your team can learn at a pace that actually builds competence.

 

6. Confusion is Stalling Compliance

The Hard Truth: The platform is vast, and navigating it can be daunting."We still see people coming back with questions and confusion. This is a major challenge for us," Steve admits. 

The Fix: If you are struggling with How to Purchase or How to Start, reach out immediately. We are constantly refining our navigation and enrollment guides to help you bridge the gap between "buying" and "learning."

Next Steps

Ready to optimize your training strategy? Please visit Sofema Online and Sofema Aviation Servises or email team@sassofia.com to activate your PTP discounts or audit a course today.