In a competitive talent market, the need for training and career development has never been more important. Skills are an important aspect of successful companies that know how to keep up with modern trends and innovations. Those who don’t invest in employee training are always set to have more unmotivated employees, which leads to poor retention rates and high employee turnover.
For years, human resources professionals have conducted studies to create the best training methods. Today, there are plenty of training resources for effective training methods to help companies equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for their jobs. But with plenty of choices out there, it can be challenging to pick which one will keep employees engaged and produce the most training outcomes. One example of an employee training program is the RPL business course. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) serves as the best vehicle to obtain formal qualifications in your chosen field.
The downside of every training course is the low engagement rate of employees. It’s not common to face low attendance on training courses and encounter employees dozing off during lectures. This poses a huge challenge for companies on how to keep training courses engaging and interactive. Since training methods come in different types, it’s important to choose the best one that suits the needs of your employees.
Technology-based training
Computerized training is becoming more popular with the rise of high-tech devices. Also known as e-learning or computer-based training, this form of technology-based learning refers to any training that takes place on a connected device.
The major advantage of technology-based learning is it allows learners to navigate the material at their own time and pace and eliminates the need for a human facilitator. This approach shares the same features with traditional classroom teaching by combining visuals and voice-over to supplement the content. Additional resources such as reading materials and multimedia content are also available to aid the training process.
Scalability is another important benefit of technology-based learning. Whether you’re training 10 or 1,000 participants, all these people can access an e-learning course whenever and wherever they want. Keep in mind that every person absorbs information in different ways, so you have to give them time to navigate the material.
Technology-based learning also comes with challenges in terms of monitoring. Failure to monitor the training progress makes it difficult to know the level of engagement and participation of employees. In this case, you have to incorporate interactive activities in the digital classroom to keep their attention.
Hands-on training
Hands-on training highlights the acquisition of new experiences based on the individual needs of the employee. Most employees highly prefer this method because they learn more concepts if there’s actual demonstration and practice involved. They get to try out a specific activity and learn about the ins and outs of it, which speeds up the learning process.
Experiential or hands-on training offers a lot of teaching techniques for training employees. The first example is cross-training, which allows learners to experience jobs beyond their skill set. This helps them expand their skills, which benefits companies to have employees who can do more than one job. Meanwhile, a training demonstration is a great way to teach how new equipment works and the safety skills required.
Coaching is a type of informal face-to-face training that focuses on the individual needs of the employee. During the session, the coach can correct errors, give support, and suggest effective strategies. This is somewhat similar to an apprenticeship, but the only difference is that the latter follows a more structured program.
Interactive training
Interactive training takes classroom training on a different level. While interactive techniques rely on the guidance of a facilitator, this method involves the person as an active participant in the training course.
As a learner-centric training method, interactive approaches focus on collaborating learning activities that highlight the importance of the learning process and knowledge retention. Some examples of interactive training include quizzes, games, and role-playing, case studies, group discussions, and simulations.
The main drawback of interactive training is that it’s very time-consuming. Since participants have more control over their learning pace, the training will take a significant amount of time.
Skills training is not a one-time event, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for it. To be a successful company, employers should invest in interactive training courses to develop their employees’ skills while keeping them engaged. As you choose the right training courses for your workforce, make sure to use the best training methods to have a stronger chance of developing your employees according to the company standards.
