About The Training Group
What we offer
About the Training Group
The Training Group designs and delivers customised training programmes that help organisations develop real skills, drive performance, and adapt in a fast-changing world.
We offer online, blended, and in-person training across AI, digital, CX, leadership, productivity, and business skills.
Our Services
At The Training Group, we partner with corporations, agencies and training providers to build real capability at scale. Our services extend beyond classroom delivery to include learning strategy, curriculum design, and white‑label programmes. Whether you need a bespoke corporate course, an outsourced academy or expert guidance to shape your learning roadmap, we design solutions that fit your context and drive measurable commercial impact.
- Customised – Programmes crafted around your team’s objectives, industry challenges and skill gaps.
- Practical – Real tools, frameworks and case studies that can be applied immediately to improve performance.
- Flexible Delivery – Live online, blended or in‑person training and consulting delivered anywhere in the world.
- Modern Learning Design – Built on global learning experience design best practice, incorporating AI, digital transformation and experiential methods.
Customised
Designed specifically for your team and industry.
Practical
Real tools and techniques that teams can apply immediately.
Flexible Delivery
Online, blended or in-person.
Modern Learning Design
Built using global LXD standards.
Meet Irma Karsten
Irma Karsten is a South African AI strategist, digital marketing strategist, corporate trainer and curriculum designer with more than 25 years of experience helping organisations, teams and professionals build practical, commercially relevant capability.
She is the founder and director of The Training Group, where she works with corporate organisations, training providers, agencies and professional teams in South Africa and internationally. Her work spans AI adoption and implementation, digital transformation, digital marketing strategy, learning experience design and the development of customised corporate training programmes.
Irma’s approach is grounded in a simple principle: training should change what people can do, not merely what they know.
Rather than delivering generic presentations or tool demonstrations, she helps organisations understand how new skills and technologies apply within their real roles, workflows, systems and business priorities. Her programmes are designed around practical application, guided experimentation, reusable resources and measurable improvements in confidence and performance.
Practical AI adoption, not just prompting
A significant focus of Irma’s current work is helping organisations move from informal AI experimentation to more structured, responsible and productive adoption.
She works with leadership teams, marketing departments, operations teams, administrative professionals and other knowledge workers to understand where AI can create genuine value—and where human judgement, governance and appropriate controls remain essential.
Her AI adoption approach extends beyond basic prompting and includes four interconnected layers:
- Developing effective prompting and critical thinking skills
- Using the full features and capabilities of AI platforms
- Applying native AI within tools such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, CRM systems and business platforms
- Connecting AI capabilities across the wider organisational technology stack to improve workflows, research, reporting, decision-making and productivity
Irma also emphasises the development of reusable and shareable AI assets, including prompt libraries, workflow templates, AI playbooks, Projects, Notebooks, team guides and implementation checklists. This helps organisations move beyond isolated individual use and establish more consistent team capability.
A career built at the intersection of strategy, learning and implementation
Irma’s professional experience combines strategic consulting, hands-on implementation and corporate learning. This allows her to translate complex subjects into practical programmes that make sense to participants while remaining aligned with wider business objectives.
Her background includes:
- AI adoption and business implementation
- Digital marketing strategy
- Social media and social selling
- Content, SEO and email marketing strategy
- Marketing analytics and decision-making
- Customer experience
- Corporate curriculum and course development
- Learning experience design
- Train-the-Trainer programmes
- Facilitation and capability assessment
- Strategic account management development
She has designed and delivered programmes for corporate teams, agencies, entrepreneurs, executives, subject-matter experts and training organisations across Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and Asia.
Her work ranges from executive AI briefings and focused workshops to multi-session capability programmes, workflow discovery engagements and longer-term implementation support.
A personal commitment to useful learning
Irma is known for a direct, energetic and highly practical facilitation style. She creates learning environments where participants can ask real questions, test ideas, work through uncertainty and connect new knowledge to the demands of their everyday roles.
She does not believe that technology should be introduced simply because it is new or fashionable. Her focus is helping organisations make informed decisions, avoid fragmented tool adoption and implement technology in ways that support people, performance and sustainable business value.
Through The Training Group, Irma continues to build practical training programmes, implementation frameworks, assessments, playbooks and digital resources that help organisations develop capability they can use long after a training session has ended.
Trainer
Kerry Alicks is an experienced digital marketing and communications professional with a strong background in strategy, training, and capability building.
She brings a practical, structured approach to training, helping teams and professionals understand how to apply digital marketing principles effectively within real business environments. Kerry has worked across multiple industries and markets, supporting organisations in building confident, capable marketing teams.
As part of The Training Group’s trusted facilitator network, Kerry delivers training that is clear, engaging, and focused on real-world application — ensuring learning translates into measurable impact.
Trainer
Thamsanqa Pasiya is a digital marketing strategist and account manager with a strong focus on learning experience design, content-led engagement, and client success.
With experience spanning digital marketing execution, account management, and training delivery, Thamsanqa brings a practical understanding of how strategy, content, and relationships work together to drive results. He has led marketing and training initiatives, supported client onboarding, and facilitated digital marketing training programmes across multiple organisations.
As part of The Training Group’s facilitator network, Thamsanqa delivers structured, learner-centred training that helps teams apply digital marketing principles confidently and effectively in real-world environments.
Trainer
Stefanje Hugo is a digital marketing strategist and training specialist with a strong focus on disruptive marketing, brand strategy, and sales enablement.
With extensive experience leading integrated marketing initiatives, Stefanje helps organisations drive customer acquisition, retention, and measurable growth. She combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, enabling teams to translate marketing plans into effective campaigns that deliver commercial impact.
As part of The Training Group’s facilitator network, Stefanje delivers practical marketing and sales training that equips teams with the skills, tools, and confidence needed to perform in fast-paced, competitive environments.
Ready to explore your training needs?
What People Say
Trusted by organisations and training partners worldwide for practical, high-impact learning that delivers real capability — not theory.
