Induction helps learners to fit in their designated role at workplace

It goes without saying that a comprehensive induction to the workplace prepares learners to take on their roles alongside other employees. During the induction period, general topics such as health and safety, roles and responsibilities of employees and equality of opportunity should be covered, as well as more specific information relating to work roles. Some employers enhance new recruits’ knowledge of their organisation by letting them spend time in different departments during induction.

In some more ‘hands on’ areas such as hairdressing and catering, blocks of regular time are allocated to on-the-job training, usually within the working day. This can be in one-hour intensive blocks in slack periods at the beginning or end of a day, to formalised half or full days of training. This training is often in much smaller groups than the off-the-job training at a training provider and aids the development of practical skills that suit the employer and the qualification requirements.

In an education and equitation centre for example, all learners have structured, planned training which includes riding, practical stable management, background knowledge lectures and portfolio-building sessions. All learners are given a minimum of 10 hours of training a week but many receive more. Learners can have an intensive training period to prepare for external examinations and to improve areas of work. The training follows a weekly timetable and is recorded on the learners’ progress sheet.

Some companies have well-resourced learning facilities. A mock shop is set up in an off-sales area, adjacent to the actual sales floor. Here learners can develop their money-handling skills, complete till training and become familiar with company procedures. Learners often respond enthusiastically to such skills development and are well motivated by the challenge they present.

In some instances, training providers have developed partnerships with employers to deliver in-house training. Staff from the employer come into the training provider’s centre to give specialist off-the-job training. This often has an additional benefit of bringing the training provider’s staff up to date with industry-specific knowledge. Where on- and off-the-job training is effectively linked, learners are able to build on their background knowledge training with practical application in the workplace, reinforcing the lessons learnt.