Closed vs open training — this is a dilemma faced by every L&D manager planning their training budget. Both formats have clear advantages and limitations, and the choice between them is rarely obvious. It depends on the number of participants, the specificity of the topic, budget, organisational goals and many other factors that are easy to overlook in a cursory analysis.
As someone who has observed the IT training market from a training company perspective for years, I see that many organisations approach this choice intuitively — they send individuals to open training sessions or order closed training because that’s what they’ve always done. Meanwhile, a systematic approach to deciding on training format can save thousands of pounds annually and simultaneously increase the effectiveness of the development programme.
In this article, I’ll guide you through a complete comparison of both formats — from definitions and differences, through cost calculations, to specific decision-making scenarios. At the end, you’ll find a framework that will help you make this decision quickly and consciously for every subsequent training session.
What’s the difference between open and closed training?
Let’s start with precise definitions, as terminology in the training industry is sometimes used inconsistently.
Open training (public, catalogue) is training with a set date, programme and per-person price, which can be attended by individual participants from different companies. The trainer delivers the training according to a standard programme, and the group consists of people with different professional backgrounds from different organisations. Open training sessions have fixed dates in the training company’s calendar, and the price is quoted as an amount per participant.
Closed training (dedicated, in-house, corporate) is training organised exclusively for employees of one company. The programme can be standard or tailored to the organisation’s needs. Training takes place on a date agreed with the client, at the training company’s premises, at the client’s office or online. The price is usually set per training day (flat fee), regardless of the number of participants within a specified limit.
The key difference is not only the group composition, but above all the possibility of customisation. Open training is delivered according to one programme for all participants. Closed training can be tailored to the company’s tech stack, the team’s level of advancement, industry specifics and specific challenges that participants face in their daily work. This is a fundamental difference whose impact on training effectiveness cannot be overstated.
What are the advantages and limitations of open training?
Open training has several clear advantages that make it the optimal choice in certain situations.
Availability and flexibility of dates is the main asset of open training. A training company with a regular calendar offers many dates throughout the year, allowing training to be matched to a specific employee’s schedule. If you need to send one person to Kubernetes training next month, open training is the simplest solution — just choose a date from the calendar and register.
Networking and exchange of experiences is a value that closed training doesn’t offer. At open training, participants meet specialists from other companies, industries and organisational contexts. These contacts and perspectives can be as valuable as the training material itself. Many open training participants cite networking as one of the key benefits — the opportunity to see how other organisations solve similar problems broadens horizons and inspires new solutions.
Lower cost with small numbers of participants is a simple but important argument. If you’re sending one or two people to training, the cost of participating in open training is significantly lower than organising closed training. The break-even point — where closed training becomes cheaper — depends on the specific training, but usually falls in the range of five to six participants.
Certification is more easily accessible in open format. Training preparing for certificates (AWS, Azure, PRINCE2, ITIL) has a fixed programme aligned with the examination syllabus, and their open workshop format works perfectly because certification material is standardised.
The limitations of open training stem mainly from their standardised nature. Lack of customisation means the programme doesn’t consider your organisation’s specifics — tech stack, processes, challenges. If your team works with Kubernetes on AWS EKS, and the open training covers vanilla Kubernetes on Minikube, the practical value for participants is lower. Moreover, a varied group level — from juniors to seniors — can mean the training pace won’t be optimal for anyone.
What are the advantages and limitations of closed training?
Closed training offers a set of benefits that, in many scenarios, make it a much more effective format than open training.
Full programme customisation is the most important advantage of closed training. The programme can be tailored to technologies used in the company, the group’s level of advancement, industry specifics and specific training objectives. The trainer can work with examples from the company’s life, exercises based on participants’ real scenarios and materials relating to the client’s infrastructure. The result? Participants leave training with knowledge they can apply immediately, without needing to “translate” generic examples to their own context.
Team building and common language is a benefit that’s easy to overlook. When an entire team participates in the same training, it builds common understanding of technologies, processes and terminology. After closed Kubernetes training, the whole team uses the same concepts, knows the same patterns and has a common reference point. You won’t achieve this effect by sending individual team members to different open training dates.
Confidentiality is important in organisations working with sensitive data or processes. In closed training, participants can freely discuss the specifics of their infrastructure, security challenges or architectural plans without risk of disclosing confidential information to outsiders.
Logistical flexibility — closed training can take place at the company’s office, at the provider’s training room, remotely or in hybrid format. The date is agreed with the client, which allows avoiding conflicts with project deadlines or holidays.
The limitations of closed training are primarily the higher base cost. Even with one participant, the daily training fee is fixed, making it uneconomical for very small groups. Moreover, organisation requires more time — programme customisation, agreeing the date, possible training needs analysis — these are additional weeks of preparation that open training doesn’t require. Finally, lack of external perspective — participants don’t have the opportunity to see how other companies approach similar challenges.
How do both formats compare directly?
The table below lists the key dimensions of both training formats, enabling quick comparison.
| Dimension | Open training | Closed training |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Per person | Per day (flat fee) |
| Cost-effectiveness | 1-4 people | 5+ people |
| Programme customisation | None (standard syllabus) | Full (tech stack, industry) |
| Date | From training company calendar | Agreed with client |
| Group composition | Participants from different companies | Only from one company |
| Networking | Yes (different companies) | No (only own team) |
| Organisation time | Immediate (registration) | 2-6 weeks |
| Location | Training company room / online | Client office / room / online |
| Confidentiality | Limited | Full |
| Certification | Standardised programme | Possible (standard syllabus) |
| Team building | No | Yes (shared experience) |
| Minimum participants | 1 person | Dependent on company (usually 4-6) |
| Maximum participants | 12-15 (depending on training) | To be agreed (optim. 6-12) |
This table shows that there is no universally better format. Each has its application, and the key to effective budgeting lies in the ability to match the format to the specific situation.
When is closed training the better choice?
There are several scenarios in which closed training is clearly more advantageous than open training.
When you need to train a group of five or more people on the same topic, closed training becomes more cost-effective. With a flat fee per training day, the cost per person decreases with each additional participant. With a group of eight to ten people, the difference is already very clear — closed training typically costs significantly less per person than the sum of open training fees for the same group.
When your team works with a specific tech stack that differs from the generic open training programme. If your company uses AWS EKS, Istio, ArgoCD and GitOps — standard Kubernetes training won’t cover this specificity. Closed training allows the trainer to prepare exercises and examples based on technologies actually used in your organisation.
When confidentiality is required — training in cybersecurity, critical system architecture or compliance processes requires open discussion about the company’s infrastructure and challenges, which is impossible in open training. In the financial, defence and public administration sectors, this is often a formal requirement.
When you want to build common competencies in the team. If an entire team is undergoing transformation — e.g., cloud migration, DevOps implementation, transition to Kubernetes — joint closed training builds a common foundation of knowledge and facilitates later collaboration. Every team member knows the same concepts, tools and approaches, which eliminates the problem of “siloed knowledge”.
When you need to adjust pace and level to a specific group. If your team consists entirely of seniors with five years’ experience in a given technology, generic open training may be too slow and too basic. Closed training allows the trainer to adjust the pace, skip elements obvious to the group and focus on advanced topics.
When is open training the better choice?
Open training has its undeniable advantages in certain scenarios.
When training one to three people, open training is simply cheaper. Organising closed training for two people makes no economic or substantive sense — the group is too small for effective workshop dynamics, and the cost is disproportionately high.
When you need a quick date. If an employee needs ITIL 4 Foundation training within two weeks, open training with a ready date in the calendar is the only realistic solution. Organising closed training requires preparation time — from two to six weeks.
When networking value is high. For roles such as CTO, Security Officer, Platform Engineer or Scrum Master, exchanging experiences with people from other organisations is exceptionally valuable. Open training is an opportunity to see how other companies approach similar challenges and to establish industry contacts.
When training is certification-based with a standardised programme. Training preparing for certification exams (AWS, Azure, PRINCE2, PMP, ITIL) has a strictly defined syllabus that doesn’t require customisation. In such cases, open training offers the same substantive value as closed, but at a lower cost for small groups.
When testing a new area. If you’re considering introducing a new technology and want to first send one or two people on a training “reconnaissance”, open training is the ideal format. After training, these people can assess the topic’s value for the organisation and recommend (or not) broader closed training for the team.
How to calculate the break-even point of both formats?
Calculating the break-even point — where closed training becomes cheaper than open — is simpler than it might seem. It requires only two pieces of information: the open training price per person and the closed training price (flat fee per day).
The formula is elementary: divide the closed training price by the open training price per person. The result is the minimum number of participants at which closed training is cost-effective. If open training costs X per person and closed Y per day, break-even occurs at Y/X participants.
In practice, the break-even threshold for most IT training falls in the range of five to seven participants. This means that for groups below five people, open training is usually cheaper, and for groups above six to seven people, closed training is clearly more financially advantageous.
But purely cost calculation is just the beginning. It’s worth adding customisation value to the comparison. Closed training that’s tailored to the company’s tech stack has higher effectiveness — participants apply knowledge in practice faster, which generates faster return on investment. This effect is harder to measure, but in many cases outweighs the price difference.
It’s also worth considering logistical costs. Open training in another city generates travel and accommodation costs. Closed training at the company’s office eliminates these expenses. With a group of eight people travelling to two-day open training in London, logistical costs can constitute a significant part of total expenditure.
Can both training formats be combined?
Absolutely yes — and this is a strategy increasingly used by mature organisations. The hybrid approach involves strategically selecting the format for specific training needs, instead of rigidly sticking to one model.
A typical hybrid model looks as follows. Certification training — especially those with standardised programmes (AWS, PRINCE2, ITIL) — are delivered in open format for individual participants or in closed format when certifying an entire team. Competency training — deepening knowledge in the organisation’s context (e.g., advanced Kubernetes on the company’s infrastructure, DevOps tailored to the client’s pipelines) — are delivered exclusively in closed format, where customisation is key.
Another variant is the cascade model: first you send one or two people to open training as pioneers who evaluate the programme and provider. If the evaluation is positive, you organise closed training for a wider team — incorporating pioneer feedback and programme customisation based on their experiences.
The development model combines open training for individual development paths (new competencies, certifications, networking) with closed training for team initiatives (migration, transformation, new technology onboarding). Open training serves to build individual competencies, closed — team competencies.
The key to an effective hybrid model is systematic planning. At the beginning of the year or quarter, review training needs and assign each to the appropriate format. Determine which training requires customisation (closed) and which can be delivered as standard (open). Sum participant numbers to identify training where closed format is more cost-effective.
How does EITT deliver training in both formats?
At EITT, we offer both training formats because we believe the choice of format should arise from client needs, not provider limitations.
Our open training has a regular calendar with dates repeated every few weeks in the most popular topics. They cover the full spectrum of IT technologies — from cloud training (AWS, Azure, GCP), through Kubernetes and DevOps, to project management (PRINCE2, Scrum), ITIL, cybersecurity and soft skills. Each open training session is delivered by a trainer with current certifications and practical experience, and participants have access to training materials and laboratories.
Closed training is a format in which we invest particularly heavily. The process begins with needs analysis — we talk to the client about training objectives, participants’ level of advancement, technologies used in the company and specific challenges. Based on this, we prepare a programme that can be a modification of standard training or a completely new set of topics. We deliver closed training at the client’s premises, in our training rooms or online.
We also offer training + certificate packages, which combine preparatory courses with examination vouchers. This format is available both as open and closed training, and allows reduction of the total team certification cost.
Our experience encompassing over 2,500 delivered training sessions and a team of over 500 experts means we can match format, trainer and programme to almost any training need. A quality rating of 4.8/5 confirms that this approach works — regardless of chosen format.
We also support clients in obtaining funding from KFS (National Training Fund), which allows covering up to 80% of training costs. This is particularly important for larger training programmes, where KFS savings can be significant.
Frequently asked questions
Is closed training always more expensive than open training?
No — it depends on the number of participants. For groups above five to six people, closed training is usually cheaper per person than open training. Additionally, it eliminates travel costs (if held at the client’s office) and offers added value in the form of programme customisation.
How many people are minimally needed for closed training?
The minimum group depends on the training company’s policy — usually four to six people. Technically, closed training can be conducted even for one person, but then the format more closely resembles coaching or mentoring, and the cost per person is obviously high.
Can closed training prepare for a certification exam?
Yes — closed training can deliver a standard certification programme, which is particularly advantageous for a group of several people taking the same exam. The programme is identical to open training, but an additional benefit is the ability to adjust pace to the specific group’s level.
How long does closed training organisation take from the decision moment?
Training with a standard programme can be organised within two to three weeks. Training with deep customisation — with needs analysis, preparation of dedicated materials and case studies — requires four to six weeks. It’s worth planning ahead, especially for popular dates.
Can training format be changed from open to closed during planning?
Yes — a professional training company should offer flexibility in this regard. If you initially plan to send two people to open training, and then it turns out there are eight interested — transitioning to closed format is a natural step and often a more advantageous solution.
Which IT training is better delivered exclusively in closed format?
Training requiring work on the client’s infrastructure (e.g., cloud migration), cybersecurity training requiring discussion of company infrastructure, DevOps tool training tailored to organisation pipelines, and onboarding training for new teams — these topics definitely work better in closed format.
Need closed training for your team? Order closed training — we’ll tailor the programme to your organisation’s tech stack and participants’ level of advancement.
Looking for training for yourself? Check the open training calendar — regular dates in the most popular IT technologies.
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