Business Matters – Education & Training
Such a significant change may stir a sense of uncertainty surrounding job security or a feeling of worthlessness amongst employees. This is even more likely when the workforce in question have been using traditional methods for the duration of their career. Its imperative to provide workers with structured training before changes are implemented, to help mitigate any uncertainty and set them up for success when the changes are in place. The biggest benefit to having these
educational activities in your business is ensuring that your staff are better equipped to meet the challenges of the modern business landscape.
Consistent training and a learning culture to attract talent Advertising training and development programmes as part of a job role allows prospective staff to see your business values talent and development. Likewise, job satisfaction among your current team is key to motivation. If you want low employee turnover then training and development becomes essential. Given the ongoing talent crisis within
the welding sector, enticing new staff to join the industry is vital to ensuring the future of workplaces are filled with competent experienced staff. With half of the current welding workforce estimated to retire by 2037, employers need to balance their efforts in enriching existing staff and recruiting new talent. There are many ways to deliver
consistent training, from ‘on the job’ training to e-learning. In order to help improve performance for employees or new talent, you should build personalised development plans.
How to train staff First, you need to consider whether you will conduct training in-house, or use an external provider. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Consider whether you have the time to spare to do the training yourself. Also, ask the question: “Do I have the knowledge needed to conduct this training?” Depending on the training, you
may need a qualification to conduct it. In this scenario, you should seek out a trained professional. Whether you go in-house or external,
it’s important to assess how effective the training is. Here are some key tips
to making your staff training effective: Keep sessions one-on-one, or in
small groups – This will encourage the employee to ask questions and makes the training personal to them. It also means you can tailor sessions to the individual and their role. Make it interactive – Staring at a screen
for hours on end is a great way for some people to learn, but not all. You don’t have to go far to make a training course more engaging, just make sure the walls of text are broken up every now and then, at least. Give responsibility – Most lessons are
learned through doing. Give the employee the opportunity to get hands-on and demonstrate what they’ve learned. In some sessions, such as manual handling, that’ll be easy. For other courses, you’ll have to get creative. Continue to enable development – Don’t
host one training session and then never revisit the topic again. Training should be built on and refreshed. This goes together with giving responsibility. Offer further training in six months’ time or provide additional courses as an incentive.
For welders Failure to train and develop staff effectively could lead to poor talent development and poor talent acquisition. This is particularly pertinent for the welding industry, as high integrity welders have now been added to the UK Government’s shortage occupations list. The specifications of this list include that the shortage is specifically for high integrity welder positions that require 3 or more years on the job experience. Without employers implementing robust training and development schemes, the
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industry is at risk of a further shortage of skilled, experienced workers. Training also creates a safer work environment. An accident-free workplace is one where employees can focus on their roles free of risk and maximise productivity. Training should form a key part of
your business development plan. It should also be a part of each employee’s personal learning and development plan. A well-trained workforce is also one that can cover gaps when they occur within your business. If an employee leaves, others can pick up the slack. However, this is not a long-term solution, so be sure to plan ahead of time to plug any gaps before they become a problem.
Further support If you need additional support in delivering training to your workforce, there are several partners of Welding World who can assist: Performance Through People
support employers by delivering apprenticeships, bespoke commercial courses and a range of Government funded training programmes to suit the needs of employers. For further support with HR or H&S
training, Croner has a range of courses to fit your business type and training budget. Croner’s sister company BrightHR also have a wealth of training courses that are available to BrightHR users. As part of Croner’s partnership with Welding Word, members can access complimentary telephone advice for HR, H&S and commercial legal queries. Speak to an expert today on 0844 561 8133.
www.croner.co.uk.
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