ON-THE-JOB training is highly regarded in many organisations, largely due to its benefits in helping employees perform better and boosting productivity.
However, this result is wishful thinking for some.
In some organisations, training has not produced the intended result despite heavy investment in it.
This is because the training programme fails to identify and address the needs of the employee. Learning is poor, as the training content is not highly relevant to the employee, and does not give him the skills he desires.
Better learning would result if the training programme were designed to address the trainee's needs. The trainee would also be more likely to be proactive in learning beyond the programme.
Hence, the importance of identifying training needs and skills looms large when organisations tailor training programmes. This should be at the top of the agenda.
Furthermore, the trainee should be part of the planning process, as the trainee usually knows where the knowledge gap needs to be bridged.
Ding Yuanyuan (Ms)
