Formal training vs. on-the-job experience  October 30,
2012  |  Best Practices  formal training vs. on-the-job
learningWhen it comes to heavy equipment, is it best for an
operator to learn in a structured training environment - such as
a classroom or computer-based training program - or via on-the-
job experience? The ideal solution is a combination of the two.
The reality is that you can never be formally taught by someone
else to know everything you need to know. Quite often, the most
important part of an education comes from on-the-job-training
and work experience. We've all heard the old saying "experience
is the best teacher." There's a lot of truth in that saying. But
to learn everything you need to know by experience to perform
your job effectively would be costly beyond description. And in
many cases, you wouldn't survive long enough to become a safe,
efficient, productive member of the team based only on on-the-
job experience.  No place for inexperience  For example, do you
really want to fly on an a