The assessment of training needs
is the story of three little questions –
1 To train for what
2 To train how
3 To train
when
Training is
basically a process of changing people. The areas in which people need
'changing' are
1 Knowledge
2· Skill or technique
3 Attitude (as
reflected in behaviour)
Not
necessarily, persons at all levels require all the three types of training. To
be most effective, the specific training needs must be assessed for each
individual. In practice, however, even if this is done, the training programs
themselves cover a group of persons rather than individuals, in consideration
of the costs involved.
Earlier we
asked a question,
Why train
people?
and the brief
answer was,
'to meet the
challenge of 1970s'.
The specific
details of this challenge are -
1 Ever increasing standards of performance are
being set by the Management - the standards of sales, costs, profits, return on
investment, rejects, inventories, overheads, labour and equipment utilization,
absenteeism, labour turnover, etc. etc.
2 New products, new equipment, new facilities
will be required to be added continuously.
To meet this
challenge not only the number of persons (quantity) required will be higher but
the quality of these people will also have to
be much higher, in the following areas:
a Knowledge of their job.
b Knowledge. of their responsibilities.
c Ability to divide work i.e. to supervise.
d Ability to make improvements in the methods of work and to put them
into practice.
e Ability to lead i.e. knowledge of human
problems.
f Ability to discuss the problems of the
business, be it individually or at gatherings of employees.
The
techniques for determining training needs, listed by the American Society of
Training Directors are
1 Observations
2 Management requests
3 Interviews
4 Group conferences
5 Job activity
analysis
6 Questionnaire surveys
7 Tests or examinations
8 Merit or performance ratings
9 Personnel records
10 Business and production records
11 Long range organizational planning
The needs as
assessed by me have been based on techniques 1, 8 and 11.
It is
suggested that a further detailed assessment making use of techniques 3, 4 and 7 be made in the course of next 2/3 months. Such an
assessment may initially be confined to the following departments -
Production
Planning and Control
Quality
Control
Plant and
Maintenance
Shop
Foremen/Stores Personnel
An assessment
based on techniques 5, 6 and 9 is already undertaken and under progress.
The
assessment vide 'Questionnaire Survey' has been divided. into two main groups,
-
1 Training needs in technical subjects (knowledge)
2 Training needs in subjects dealing with
'skills' or ‘techniques’
When the
entire assessment is over, it will be possible to draw up a comprehensive
Training Program for the sections mentioned earlier.
A
comprehensive program for the Switchgear Division as a whole can be launched
only when
-
The Top Management accepts that 'personnel development
through formal training' is the only way to keep L&T abreast of the others.
-
The 'Pop Management
order a systematic assessment of the training needs of the entire Switchgear
Division along the lines discussed above.
-
Upon completion of such an assessment instruct our
Training Office to prepare a co-ordinate Training Program.
-
Entrust our line Managers with the responsibility of
implementing the Program in their respective sections. It has been universally
accepted that training has to be always a 'line' function.
-
The Top Management call for a 'Training Performance
Evaluation' report from the line Managers once a year.
The lines
along which such a program may be organized are given in the next chapter.
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