Throughout history, on-the-job training has been an important part of becoming a successful worker. On-the-job training focuses on teaching the skills your employees need while they perform their job duties. Offering on-the-job training can help ensure your employees understand your work protocols and have the skills they need to perform their best.
The History of On-the-Job Training
In the United States, there is a significant history of workforce development efforts throughout the 20th century. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 is an example of how the United States reacted to growing demand for a skilled workforce following the Industrial Revolution. This act created federal funding for high schools to offer vocational training, a type of training that focuses on a particular job function or trade.
Since 1917, there have been many acts put in place to create more support for workers in the United States. Here are some key acts and their features:
- National Apprenticeship Act of 1937: created the modern apprenticeship
- Trade Adjustment Assistance Program of 1962: assisted workers displaced by increased imports
- Manpower Development and Training Act (MDTA): created federal assistance for training and retraining efforts
- Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA): replaced MDTA in 1973 to include training and employment assistance for low-income and displaced workers
- Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA): replaced CETA in 1982 to include dislocated workers and in-need populations
- Wagner-Peyser Act: created to connect job seekers with available jobs
- Workforce Investment Act (WIA): amended the Wagner-Peyser Act in 1998 to create a One-Stop Career Center system to add training services
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): modern-day version of WIA which expanded to provide support to local workforce boards and create industry partnerships to ensure training meets employers needs
Workforce development acts are consistently amended and replaced to meet the demands of the current economy. Knowing what acts are actively in place can help you plan your training according to federal and state goals, which hopefully allows you to access federal assistance or state funding to supplement your training costs.
Modern OTJ Training Programs
In today’s training atmosphere, there are many different methods you can use to facilitate OTJ training. Focus on the goals and specific needs your company has when you decide which method works best for your training. Let’s go through the different OTJ training options you can choose from and see which fits your needs.
Orientation
Typically the first stage of OTJ training, orientations set out to introduce the company policies, roles, and culture. Orientations can also be used to give an overview of their job, work environment, coworkers, and tools they will use.
Coaching
If you need a personalized training method, coaching can provide a unique learning environment. Each trainee is assigned to a specific coach to guide them through each part of the training process with feedback. This allows the training to be adjusted where necessary to give new employees more or less time on a topic to fit their learning pace.
Mentoring
Mentoring can be similar to mentoring, but it acts over a longer period of time. New workers are paired up with an experienced colleague or a superior to learn necessary skills and protocols. Mentoring can be mutually beneficial for the mentee and the mentor, as the mentee has long-term support and the mentor can develop their leadership and teaching skills.
Internship
For students or recent graduates, internships can be a great short-term work experience to gain professional work experience. Internships can show real-world applications of classroom topics by allowing interns to work on supervised projects.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are the skilled craft version of internships. For apprentices, the focus is on gaining experience and qualifications needed to pursue their specific career field. Unlike internships, apprenticeships are not designed to be resume-builders or networking opportunities, but rather focus on learning specific skills instead.
Simulated Sandbox Training
During simulated sandbox learning, specialized software or virtual simulations are used to create a risk-free environment for employees to practice skills without disrupting regular operations, such as flight simulators for pilots. In a simulated environment, trainees can make mistakes and learn from them before they move into the workplace. Simulations can be adjusted to fit any workspace and be as simple as practicing website coding for IT professionals.
Job Rotation
To make sure your employees are receiving a well-rounded skill set, you can introduce job rotation training. In rob rotations, trainees will move between departments or roles throughout your company for set intervals. By spending time in different positions, trainees develop a diverse skill set and gain a deeper understanding of company functions.
Shadowing
Shadowing allows a new employee to follow an experienced worker to observe their daily activities. It can create a collaborative atmosphere between new workers and current employees and make the transition into the company’s culture easier.
In-Office Workshops/Seminars
Workshops and seminars can be beneficial to both new and current employees depending on the topic. You can adapt a workshop or seminar to target a specific skill or topic that is relevant to a role in your company and invite someone within your company to lead it. If needed, you could have an outside professional come in to lead the session to teach a completely new concept.
Team Projects
Building a team project around the application of new skills and strategies can be a good way to train workers to collaborate and learn from each other. In addition to the new skills, your staff will freshen up their teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Who Benefits from On-the-Job Training?
On-the-job training can be beneficial for both employees and employers in shared and individual benefits. Both employees and employers benefit from OTJ training through:
- Training Flexibility: Every OTJ training method can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of the employee or employer.
- Relevant Skills: Employees know what skills are needed for their new job, and employers can relax knowing that their employees are prepared for their work.
- Invested Mentality: Learning opportunities keep employees engaged and interested in investing their time in more training, which in turn encourages companies to invest more time and money in training efforts.
Employee Benefits
Additional bonuses from OTJ training for employees focus on personal development and future opportunities. These benefits can be seen through:
- Enhanced industry knowledge
- Higher financial compensation
- Improved job outlook
- Expanded professional network
Employer Benefits
Benefits for employers can look different, as many of the benefits focus on key metrics used to measure employee performance. Here are a few ways employers benefit from OTJ training:
- Reduced employee turnover
- Lower training costs
- Increased knowledge retention
- Less time for worker proficiency
Tips for Implementing OTJ Training
Beginning a new training method can be a daunting task, but there are many ways you can ease the transition to make OTJ training work for you. Here are a few steps to help guide you through the process of planning OTJ training.
- Assess the current training needs of your organization. Start by looking at what skills your employees already have and compare it to where their skills need to be. Areas where their skills are lacking will be the basis of your training plan.
- Develop a training plan. List out all the skills you need to teach and assign the methods you will use for each one. Make sure to include a timeline that details each step leading up to your training goals.
- Set specific goals. Setting goals can help make sure everyone involved with training knows what trainees are expected to learn through the training. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (also known as the SMART method) to align them with company goals.
- Select mentors, trainers, or coaches. The success of your training efforts heavily relies on the people you pick to teach. Make sure your teachers are highly skilled in the area and able to effectively communicate their expertise on the topic. As long as the employee has seniority in some way, they can lead training, so don’t stress if your managers aren’t available to help.
- Record progress over time and give feedback. Not every employee will learn at the same pace, so make sure to tailor your training to suit their needs. You may also need to include additional training for specific workers based on their current skills. As someone progresses through their training, let them know how they are progressing and how they can improve.
- Ask for feedback on the training and make improvements for the next training period. Feedback can help fill in training gaps you may have missed in the beginning or prompt the use of another training method to help encourage understanding. Improving your training program can help keep it relevant.
The Future of On-the-Job Training
As the workplace changes and adapts to new technology, so will the training. On-the-job training will continue to become more personalized through online training modules. By incorporating new technologies into your training, you ensure your employees can adapt and engage with evolving technology that is relevant to their field.
As you look ahead to your future planning endeavors, Workforce Essentials is here to help. At Workforce Essentials, we offer training services that are tailored to fit your needs. Make sure to check out our full list of services to see how Workforce Essentials can help you take your training to the next level.
