How to Establish a Training Program

by Matthew Schieltz, studioD

Many reasons exist for establishing a training program. For example, perhaps no formal training exists for new employees, or you may want to improve the way existing employees function. A quality training program not only enhances employees' knowledge, it also promotes uniformity and provides answers to employees' questions. To establish a training program, you must analyze the job in question, set objectives and choose appropriate administration options.

Step 1

Conduct a needs assessment to determine the type of training your organization needs to implement. Consult company personnel who either currently work in or are familiar with the roles or job function. Ask them to help identify the knowledge, skills and abilities a person or employee needs to function in that particular role. Review documents that explain regulations, technical standards or department procedures employees training in the position must be aware of. If you're training existing employees, consider the gap between the skills or knowledge your employees already have and what they need to know.

Step 2

Create a formal job description. Write a general description of the job requirements, the environment in which employees perform the work and the tools and equipment an employee uses as part of the job. Create an inventory of tasks required to fulfill job responsibilities. Describe how the employee's job fits within your organization, and list resources, such as managers, supervisors and reference documents that are available to the employee.

Step 3

Prioritize the tasks of a job according to importance and difficulty to determine the types of training activities you most need to focus on. Also, rate the tasks by how frequently an employee in the position performs the task. Consider which of the job's tasks requires skills an employee must already have before beginning training. Compile a list of the tasks for which you'll need to provide formal training. For example, you may need to provide extensive training for highly difficult tasks an employee must perform on a daily basis, and not as much training for tasks requiring skills an employee can learn on the job.

Step 4

Identify learning outcomes for your training program. A learning outcome describes what the employee will be able to do after the training and may include attitudinal, cognitive and skill learning outcomes. For example, attitudinal learning aims to change the way an employee views a subject. Cognitive learning contributes to his overall body of knowledge on a topic. Skill learning helps an employee learn a job-related, usually behavioral task.

Step 5

Think about the different personality types you'll be training and each employee's preferred learning style, as this may help you determine the types of training resources to use in your program. For example, some employees learn better using hands-on approaches and simulations, while others do better with lectures, discussions and independent activities.

Step 6

Plan the details of your training program. Research and identify training resources and the materials you need to implement the program. For example, think about industry or content experts who provide training on certain topics. Look for e-learning or online resources (i.e., computer-based learning software), instructional books and materials that convey the knowledge employees must acquire. Think about whether any current company representatives may be able to develop courses to teach particular skills. Consider whether training can be conducted on-site or whether employees must travel to a specific training or conference site.

Step 7

Deliver the training to both existing and new employees. Schedule training dates for existing employees far enough in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts. Provide employees with course outlines and a program itinerary so they know what to expect.

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