No organisation survives unless its people are continually learning and developing. Training is at the heart of this process and today there are many ways to deliver it. The trick is understanding which type of training is best for the learning outcomes you require. Skills that were once imperative, and often the very reason we got our jobs in the first place, are suddenly not so vital. For some roles, personality traits are more important to employers than a candidate's qualifications. Indeed the "hire character, train for skill" approach (to quote Peter Schutz, former CEO of Porsche) is rapidly gaining traction across both the private and public sectors.

At the same time, an organisation's commitment to employee personal development is now an increasingly important criterion for candidates. Job seekers are only too aware that their current skillset may soon be obsolete, so they are looking for an employer who will help develop their careers. The training industry, and the range of available training formats, has grown considerably in recent years. The upshot of this is a bewildering choice of not only what type of skills to train for but also how that training should be delivered.

Delivered exclusively through electronic platforms, e-learning allows you to learn at your own pace and access the programmes and resources when and where it suits you. What e-learning lacks in interactivity it makes up for in flexibility, cost effectiveness and high learning retention. Involving no travel and minimal printed matter, it's also among the most environmentally friendly forms of training.

Most suitable for: knowledge-based training, test your knowledge quizzes, new starter induction programmes and compliance-driven refresher training.

Also good for: safety training, technology walk-throughs and IT system tutorials.

Podcasts provide a great way to turn occasional gaps in our day (for example, during a commute) into informal, yet valuable, learning opportunities.

Most suitable for: supplementing formal training, keeping up-to-date with legal, economic, business and political affairs, and discovering new ways to maximise existing skills.

Also good for: legal case histories and expert commentary.

One-to-one training is the most customisable training available. It can be tailored to your specific learning needs, the nature of your organisation and the industry sector it operates in. For this reason, one-to-one learning doesn't come cheap. If your organisation is paying, it can sometimes be reserved for more senior personnel and those in highly specialised roles.

Most suitable for: leadership training, mentoring, preparation for board or senior management positions, and helping people settle into roles in new geographies or cultures.

The original form of delivering training is the classroom (or training or conference room) format. It's cost-effective for the organisation and interactive for those on the course, and it's also time-limited and therefore easy to plan around. Classroom training can create meaningful learning experiences that encourage the interchange of ideas, experiences and suggestions between participants, and can lead to collaborative working and problem-solving. It can be tailored to a single organisation (making it specific to its challenges or goals) or generic and open to people from multiple organisations, which enables delegates to gain wider insight and perspectives.

Most suitable for: team working, sharing experiences and war stories, and tuition leading to certification and formal qualifications.

Also good for: specialist legal training and developing soft skills, including communication, time management and problem-solving skills.

Although the internet has revolutionised the way in which we find information, there is still value in printed matter. As well as providing greater ease of access and simultaneous visibility over multiple documents, many textbooks provide deeper technical and historical insight than online resources. In addition, students may find it easier to annotate and highlight relevant passages and track their learning progress with printed materials rather than online resources.

Most suitable for: deep learning and revision for formal qualifications, post-qualification and ongoing learning, and background information to supplement and consolidate other forms of training.

Also good for: technology training, commercial awareness and financial literacy training.