Last month I talked about the importance of developing your employees. Yet it can be difficult to develop training that sticks for many reasons. In part because training calls upon manufacturers to give one of their most valuable resources–time. When you’re busy getting product out the door, it can be difficult to move training beyond the initial onboarding training session.
How do you find a low cost, efficient method of developing employees?
Many manufacturers have discovered that employee-driven structured On the Job Training (OJT) provides long term benefits. This is a process by which teams of employees who perform the same or similar jobs tasks work together to analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate their own on-the-job training program. Due to the structure of manufacturing companies, OJT can be an ideal long-term training solution. It is a systematic, comprehensive, and integrated approach to performance improvements.
Why is a Team Driven Structured OJT so Important?
- Employees learn 90% of their job knowledge and skills through OJT.
- Up to 1/3 of new employee’s first year salary is devoted to OJT.
- Employees achieve objectives faster through structured OJT more than any other method.
- Structured OJT returns results two to three times quicker than traditional OJT.
The effectiveness of any given training approach depends on two main considerations: the amount of time that elapses between training events and the opportunity to use what was learned in that training AND the match between training setting and job setting.
How do I know if Structured on the Job Training is right for my manufacturing company?
On the job training is a powerful approach that empowers employees to solve problems, and build a sustainable method of cross training. Learn if this approach is right for you with our handy checklist.
Download our checklist
How To Implement Team Driven Structured OJT
- Conduct a Team Job Task Analysis – This involves your team systematically breaking down job tasks into smaller tasks so that they are a manageable size for on-the-job training.
- Write Training Modules with the team by creating short, step by step instructions for use in on-the-job training. Using the job task analysis you can create a Job Training Module which is used to define and help deliver the training.
- Create a Training Implementation Plan to define who needs training on which modules and by what dates. The implementation plan should also define who the trainer is and include guidelines for training and evaluation. Elements of a good training plan will consist of the following:
- Title Header
- Training Performance Objective (What will they be able to do once the training is complete)
- Area Preparation Section
- Training Materials Needed
- Safety and Warnings
- Listed Prerequisites (what do they need to know before this training begins)
- Post Training requirements
- Delivery procedure (what is the process for delivering this training)
-  Try out, Evaluate, and Modify the Training Modules. This means the modules are verified and validated for completeness, accuracy, and usefulness. Changes are made when needed.
- Conduct your On the Job Training. The trainer builds a shared mental model, demonstrates the task as the trainee watches, coaches the trainee as they perform the task, observes the trainee doing the task without coaching, and gives feedback.
We’re confident that this approach can provide long term benefits for manufacturers seeking to create a predictable process that is tailored to adult learners. Ultimately, OJT reduces the learning curve to full capacity and improves the skills and confidence of personnel doing the task so that they contribute to your continuous improvement culture.
