Question

Building a 21st century work force involves developing training that keeps pace with information technology
needs. One of the main reasons a new HR technology system fails is not providing ample time for training.
Whether it’s a necessary system upgrade, implementing a brand-new system, or simply transitioning from one
platform to another, members of staff will be faced with change and new ways of doing things.
In view of the above, you have been appointed as the training manager of a manufacturing firm that will open
a subsidiary or a branch in September 2020. Your General Manager has asked you to develop a training program
that aims to boost the information technology skills of the newly formed Executive Committee Members. Your
General Manager has suggested that you organize a 2-day workshop in a resort at a location of your choice,
starting from 9 am to 5 pm each day.
Your task is to design the training programme and suggest 3 training methods that suit the training theme
described by your General Manager.

Answer 1

Designing a training programme

Step # 1. Responsibility for Training:

To be effective, a training programme must be properly organised. Training is quite a strenuous task which cannot be undertaken by a single department.

The responsibility for training may be shared among the following:

General manager he should frame and authorise the basic training policy, review and approve the training plans and programmes and approve training budgets.

Training manager

plan, establish and evaluate instructional programmes, implement and apply various developmental plans.

Step # 2. Selection and Motivation of the Trainees:

Proper selection of trainees is of great importance to obtain great results. It is necessary to decide who is to be a trained-new or old employee, unskilled or semi-skilled workers, supervisors or executives. In our case it is new employees.

Selection of candidates for training should be made only after careful screening of the prospective employees for the effectiveness of the programme. It is also necessary to create a desire for learning. The employees will be interested in training if they believe that it will benefit them personally.

A trainee should be given proper background information before he starts learning new job skills and gets knowledge about the information technology. The trainer should explain to the trainee the importance of the job, its relationship with the work flow and the importance of learning of IT. The trainer should not forget the newness of the trainee to the training programme.

Step # 3. Preparation of Trainer:

The success of the training programme depends upon the trainer or the instructor. Trainer must be well qualified and may be obtained from within or outside the organisation. It should be decided before hand what is to be taught and how is to be taught in workshop . He should be able to divide the job into logical parts so that he may teach one part at a time without losing his perspective of the whole.

As training is based upon the needs of the organisation, the trainer must have a clear cut picture of the objectives of training in mind. Trainer needs professional expertise in order to fulfill his responsibility.

The trainer should explain and wherever necessary, demonstrate the operations step by step and should allow the trainees to repeat these operations. He should also encourage questions from the trainees so that they may be attentive in class

Step # 4. Training Material:

Training material may include study notes, case studies, pamphlets, charts, brochures, manuals, training guides, movie slides etc. The material may be prepared in the training section with the help of the supervisors. The written material should be distributed among the trainees so that they may come prepared in the lecture class and may be able to understand the operation quickly and remove their doubts.

Step # 5. Training Period:

The length of the training period depends upon the skill of the trainees, purpose of the training, trainees’ learning capacity and the training media used. The time of training, whether before or after or during working hours. It is decided as workshop in a resort starting from 9 am to 5 pm each day.

Step # 6. Performance Tryout:

Trainees should be provided with practical information technology knowledge and asked to do the job several times slowly. His mistakes are corrected and if necessary the complicated steps are explained again. As soon as the trainee demonstrates that he can do the job rightly he is put on his own and training is over.

Step # 7. Follow Up:

This is the final but most important step in training programme In this step, the effectiveness of the training programme is assessed. The feedback generated through follow up will help to reveal weaknesses or errors, if any. The supervisor should have a constant vigil on the person and his performance.If he is still facing any difficulty on the job, he must be given full guidance by the immediate supervisor and should be initiated to ask questions to remove the doubts. If necessary, instruction may be repeated until the trainee learns whatever has been taught to him. Follow up action reinforces the learning process. It also helps in designing future training programmes.

Training methods that suit the training theme are:

On-the-Job Methods

This refers to the methods of training in which a person learns a job by actually doing/performing it. A person works on a job and learns and develops expertise at the same time it is best while imparting computer knowledge to employees.

1. Understudy

In this the employee is trained by his or her supervisor(training manager) . The trainee is attached with his or her senior and called understudy or assistant.

2.Special projects

The trainees' may ask to work on special projects related to information tech with departmental objectives. By this, the trainees will acquire the knowledge of the assigned work and also learn how to work with others.

3. Coaching

In this, the supervisor or the superior acts as a guide and instructor of the trainee. This involves extensive demonstration and continuous critical evaluation and correction for the best performance.