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Explanation of the advantages for a company to train their workers. Also refer to Total Quality Management, TQM, instructions, customer satisfaction, documentation, improved profits, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

Training Your Workers

by Ron Kurtus (revised 16 May 2001)

Companies should look to training their workers. Lack of proper skills--and especially the latest skills--can prevent a company from being a leader, as well as affecting the bottom line profits. Skill-based training should be emphasized over soft-skill training.

Questions you may have include:

• What problems do companies have with worker skill?
• Why is hard-skill training necessary?
• What is the benefit of such training?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Problem with lack of skill

Do you have problems getting experienced, skilled workers to handle business or company department tasks? Do you find that many workers—even those with college degrees—seem to lack many of the basic skills required to do a good job?

Many companies have been plagued with the lack of properly educated personnel, especially with the fast pace of technology changes that require new methods and skills. Often a company will try to hire new people to fill the void, but they are often stymied by the lack of qualified applicants.

A solution to this problem is simply to provide training for your workers to fulfill the need of your company. This document will explain the advantages of providing that training for your workers.

Training should be skill-based

The training workers receive should be skill-based training, in order to raise their competency levels. Statistics show that companies spend 80% of training funds to teach managers "soft skills" while neglecting to upgrade the work skills of their productive employees.

Training to use equipment

Workers need to learn to use equipment and to do the various tasks on their jobs. These skills are often already available from previous training or job experience, but often in the case of advancing technologies, methods, or processes, workers must receive extra training.

Training in product knowledge

Workers also must be knowledgeable about the product, the equipment, and company policies to make decisions and to solve or avoid problems. Continual education is needed to provide this knowledge.

Also, salesmen must be trained on how to use the product or how the service is administered in order to effectively sell the product or service.

Skilled workers increase profits

Skilled workers do the job faster, make less mistakes, and contribute to the company's bottom line. An advantage of skill-based training is that its results is measurable in increased productivity. This justifies to training expenditure.

If a company is unable to hire skilled workers, they should make an effort to get the good workers they have properly trained. It makes bottom-line sense.

Summary

Companies need skilled workers, and since they are not readily available, it is necessary that the company provide the training.

Answers to Readers' Questions

Resources

The following are some resources on this topic.

Web sites

Training Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Training

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. Why are hard skills more important to train?

2. What is a typical soft skill training?

3. Why is it important to train workers?

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a champion in training development. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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Training Your Workers