This article will focus on technology as well as Training Within Industry - Job Instruction (TWI-JI) module to capture standardized work.

The challenge: The onboarding process is challenging. The primary reason is two-fold.

First, if tasks are documented, they are usually written and describe the steps in the process. However, the onboarding process is much more than tasks. It involves a logical format that often uses more sensory input to be successful (e.g. vision or audio). Only, providing a written document for training has limited effectiveness as it does not consider all sensory input. Different individuals capture knowledge differently. Providing multiple methods or considering different sensory inputs will provide a more effective educational session.

I remember my mom would make sure I had a quarter in my pocket in case I had to make an emergency call while out with friends. The quarter obviously for the payphone. Do you remember using the payphone? How about when watching your first music video? MTV was a big thing back in the early 80s. Some of us can remember those firsts in our culture yet for some of our colleagues, that transition from “how it was” to “how it is” did not happen. It just always was.

I grew up in the best place ever. My neighborhood was diverse, just like my family. We are Mexican, Puerto Rican, Black, and all American. I had no idea that I was different or that I was a minority. I believed that what we practiced in our home was the same as every other American.

Research shows that there continues to be an on-going shortage of skilled employees. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, everywhere you went there was a “Help Wanted” sign, and even during COVID-19, there is still a shortage of skilled employees. So, what do you do about it? The first order of business is to highly engage the team you have, and the second order of business is to create a highly skilled, energized team of producers.

During step 1 (Preparing the Worker), you are responsible for putting the person at ease to start the training. This may be a good time to discuss any concerns the learner my have about the current situation with Covid 19. Perhaps introduce all the safety measures your company has taken to keep the participant safe during this pandemic. 

The Defense Production Act may require you to shift production to a different product and therefore you need to rapidly train your team members.  Others may need to reduce their workforce and move team members to other jobs that would require them to learn new skills.  And, some companies are hiring so rapidly that they interview a person, hire them on the spot, and the person is working on the job the same day.  These new team members require to be trained on everything from safety, time keeping, to their actual tasks and everything in between.

Contributed by our partners at John Wood Community College.

Regional companies will learn practical ways to adapt for the future at the “ABC’s of a Thriving Workforce” conference set for Tuesday, September 24 from 9a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at John Wood Community College’s auditorium in Quincy.

Written by Mary Hallock, IMEC Technical Specialist and TWI Certified Trainer

Training Within Industry (TWI) is a proven job training methodology that has been implemented successfully by companies for decades. Given the challenges of today's skills gap, it is critical to have systematic approaches to train and retrain staff. Yet, we hear plenty of myths about TWI… allow me to help dispel the myths and set you on a path to TWI success.

IMEC partners and talent management experts, AAIM-EA are introducing a new one day seminar to showcase the best and brightest training and organizational development programs.

AAIM strives to provide high quality, relevant training programs that can enhance both you and your business. The Learning Workshop will provide you the opportunity to not only participate and learn on four topics of your choice, but it will provide insight into what else AAIM has to offer in the Training/Organizational Development arena. The programs are interesting and engaging for employees at all levels.