“It is not the strongest of the species who survive, nor the most intelligent; rather it is those most responsive to change.” —Charles Darwin Humans, as a creature, grow. From the time they conceive to the last breath of their lives, growth is one essential factor which happens in various magnitudes in their lives. Along with growth, there is one other factor which is bound together, that is learning (Taylor and Parsons, 2011). Both growth and learning are two axes in the curve of success. Similar to humans, organisations, which are created, maintained and cultivated by the said humans, are also a unit which grows. For the organization and it’s people to grow and succeed, learning is a key factor indeed. If any Organisation wants to be on top of their game, it is essential for it to equip with people who believe “continuous learning” is the ladder which takes them there (Alipour, Salehi and Shahnavaz, 2009). Armstrong and Taylor (2014) discuss about 4 methods of how an organization can uplift the competency of employees. Learning, is a process which uses experience to modify and develop knowledge and skills, create the correct attitude towards achieving the common goal and have a behavioural development. Whereas development is making aware of the employee’s ability and competence through learning. Training is an essential part of an employee’s tenure since it enriches the required skills and knowledge to perform the assigned duty to the best productivity. Even though education is not necessarily be a part of the employee’s technical advancement, it will definitely give an advantage over various aspects of values and emotions which come across when performing duties. Learning and Development drives the organisation ahead of it's rivals and competitors. Hence, in the contemporary business world, it is essential to have Learning and Development in every section of the organisation, to have a sustainable market coverage. Low staff turn over and reduction of wasted expenditure will too reflect the effect of learning and development. Importance of a learning Organisation will be discussed in the following posts.
Figure 1 : Difference between Learning, Training, Development & Education
(Wheeler, 2013)
References
Alipour, M., Salehi, M. and Shahnavaz, A. (2009). A Study of on the Job Training Effectiveness: Empirical Evidence of Iran. International Journal of Business and Management, 4(11), pp.63-68.
Amstrong, M. Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 13th ed. New Delhi, Kogan Page Limited
Taylor, L. & Parsons, J. (2011). Improving Student Engagement. Current Issues in Education, 14(1), pp 1-33[Online]. Available at: < http://cie.asu.edu>. [Accessed on 30 September 2019]
Wheeler, K.(2013). What’s the Difference between Training, Education, Development and learning[Online]. Availble at: < https://futureoftalent.org/whats-difference-training-education-development-learning>. [Accessed on 06 October 2019]
These 4 essential factors bring an invaluable advantage to the organization right from the very top and the employees at the dead bottom of the O-chart. Aragon and Valle (2013) have researched that concluded the fact that training for the managers play a key role in the organisation’s enhanced performance and definitely score a better result relative to organisations which did not have sufficient training. It is not only the management but also the non-executive staff require training to contribute towards the growth of the organisation (Ahamed,2013)
It is indeed an investment which will bear fruit in time to come not only in the schemes of productivity but also commitment, psychological contract and employee retention (Sahinidis and Bouris, 2007). Beer, Finnstrom and Schrader (2016) indicating US corporations spent 164.2 Billion USD on their training programs in 2012, as much as twice the GDP for SriLanka in 2018 (CBSL,2019), shows how much the investor value training and development of the employees and that the oraganisations consider employee training with utmost interest. Nevertheless, most organisations find it difficult to find the ideal formula in converting such financial investment to Improvement of personal and corporate growth or financial return of investment (Beer, Finnstrom and Schrader, 2016).
The organisation I’m employed at is a leading airline in the country. I’m attached to the Aircraft Maintenance Department which is the technical handling arm of the aircrafts in the organisation. It is also a main revenue generating avenue for the airline by providing technical handling and certification to other airlines which requires them in Colombo. In the years 2018,2019 there were many Engineering type training offered for the engineers on aircraft types, mainly types which are not operated by the airline such as Boeing B787, B737, B777 and Airbus A350 apart from the aircraft types operated such as Airbus A320, A330 and A320 NEO (Author’s work, 2019).
Earlier, out of 30 airlines which comes to Colombo, this airline engineers certified only aircrafts from 06 airlines. However, after the engineers were qualified after the trainings mentioned above, they are managed to certify aircrafts from 20 airlines. Many other airlines are going through negotiations which will make this number only increase. This means the revenue generated by these 3rd party airline certification is increased close to thrice the amount than it was before the trainings were conducted. On the other hand, having qualified and experienced engineers who are expertise in many types of aircrafts gives the airline a chance to open up for business opportunities in other airports. Currently, a team of engineers are based in Male, Maldives and one engineer in Chennai, India who currently certify aircrafts in this airline and also airlines who operate to those airports. Hence, there will be viable business opportunities which will directly support the airline’s revenue (Author’s Work, 2019). This alone shows how valuable training is for the organization and how it can generate revenue despite the initial cost borne as a great investment.
References
Ahamed, U (2013) Impact on Training on Employee retention [Online]. Available at: < https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263808540_Impact_of_Training_on_Employee_Retention>. [Accessed on 01 October 2019]
Aragon, I and Valle, R (2013) Does training managers pay off? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24 (8), pp 1671–84
Beer, M., Finnstrom, M. and Schrader, D. (2016) The Great Training Robbery. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 16-121 [online]. Available at: http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/16-121_bc0f03ce-27de-4479-a90e-9d78b8da7b67.pdf [Accessed on 30 September 2019].
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (2019) Annual Report 2018 [Online]. Colombo: Central Bank of Sri Lanka: Available at: < https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/publications/annual_report/2018/en/1_Preliminary.pdf>.[ Accessed on 28 September 2019 ]
Sahinidis, A. and Bouris, J. (2008). Employee perceived training effectiveness relationship to employee attitudes. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(1), pp.63-76[Online]. Availble at: < https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c1b6/00716926dbd75ed689713a7359a610e17cd8.pdf>. [Accessed on 29 September 2019]
Even though it is identified that training and development is essential and a “Learning Organisation” is the way forward in the current corporate world, it is of same importance that the organisation identify the ideal method to incorporate it in the system. If not, the Return of Investment will not be viable for the organization (Rupčić,2017). Learning takes place at 3 levels within the organization, which are Individual, group and as an organization as a whole (Cummings and Whorley,2009 cited in Gould and Bouldwin,2016). Hence, it is important that the management identifies this and invest accordingly. It is identified that learning is absorbed more when it is provided in chunks of experience and not everything at once (Frost,2017). When the training in an organisation is conducted, it is also important that the learner is connected to him. For an example, a training given to a steward in a restaurant should include at least a field visit to the kitchen and supply units to experience the process. That will enhance his knowledge in the business and surely help him serve the customers in a better, more professional way. In my organization, the technical training college has allocated practical training sessions into various workshops, inside and outside the organisation, related to aircraft maintenance even though they do not directly engage in on-wing maintenance. However, the bigger picture is shown and the trainee will know how everyone’s contribution is driving the organization to success. A comprehensive method of how effective learning is conducted was introduced by Kolb (2015). In his learning cycle there are 4 vital steps.
Figure 2: Kolb’s Learning Cycle
Source: McLeod,2017
1 – Concrete Experience -The technical training institute in my organization is comprised of experienced aircraft engineers who carry so much experience in the field. Their knowledge sharing and their experience definitely help the trainees to have a solid understanding on the subject matter. This implies how important the experience gained by practical experience is. 2 – Reflective Observation – -Once the trainee gains the experience, he should be directed to review and reflect on how he gained the key principles of learning in that training. 3 – Abstract Conceptualisation – -The trainee is then directed into absorbing the knowledge imparted from the experience he gained. He can argue on the things he witnessed and experienced against the theoretical training he received. This argument will definitely aid the trainee to abstract the necessary information and grow his knowledge. Repetition can be one way of enhancing the ability to abstract the concept. 4 – Active Experimentation – -Experience is one of the best ways to learn. The technical training institute in my organisation allocate the same time for “Practical on the job training” as well as the theoretical training in classrooms (SLAC, 2018). This gives the trainee the chance to have hands on experience on what he learnt and open up opportunities to learn a new method or concept other than what was discussed. The following video will help the reader understand more about Kolb’s Learning Cycle.
Video 1 : David Kolb’s Learning Style
Source : Atkinson,2017
References Atkinson, T. (2017) Kolb Learning Style [Online]. Available at: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_HjW54xJ1Q>.[Accessed on 25 September 2019] Frost, R. (2017) What Makes Chunking Such An Effective Way To Learn? Forbes [Online].Available at:< https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/11/08/what-makes-chunking-such-an-effective-way-to-learn/#320c12e660a9> [Accessed on 26 September 2019]
Gould, N., Baldwin, M.(2016) Social Work, Critical Refelection and Learning Organisation. 2nd ed. New York, Routledge [Online]. Available at : <https://books.google.lk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iebeCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=learning+organization&ots=_4FoLSgXSx&sig=Mj754KiYKBYtJ8Db2eSfvZUMeFI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=learning%20organization&f=true >.[Accessed on 25 August 2019] Kolb, D. (2015) Experimential Learning- Experience As The Source Of Learning And Development. 2nd Ed. New Jersey, Pearson Education [Online]. Available at <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315793484_Experiential_Learning_Experience_as_the_source_of_Learning_and_Development_Second_Edition/citation/download>.[Accessed on 21 September 2019] McLeod, S. (2017) Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle. Simply Psychology [Online]. Available at: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html >. [Accessed on 27 September 2019] Rupčić, N. (2017), "Spiritual development – a missing and powerful leverage when building learning organizations", The Learning Organization, 24(6), pp. 418–426 SriLankan Aviation College (SLAC) (2018) EASA Part 66 B1.1 – Basic Course in Aircraft Maintenance [Online]. Available at:<http://srilankanaviationcollege.com/what-we-offer/Course/EASA-Part-66-B1> [Accessed on 24 September 2019]
With the ever-changing dynamic business environment today, management has a vital role to play in the organization. Unlike in the past, management need to be more innovative and change themselves accordingly to learn and embrace the latest adaptations required to stay in the game (Gilaninia, Rankouh and Gildeh, 2013). Hence, learning organization is what is implemented in the present. In order to cater that requirement, it is important to provide sufficient training to the employees. Which implies that “understanding how to learn” is as important as learning. However, in practical scenarios, there is little time for learning and innovation within an organization (Brix and Lauridsen,2012). Hence, organisations which identifies the importance of innovation and allocate sufficient time for learning, are flexible and ready for development. Where as organisations which do not identify that are mostly reluctant to change and do not comply with HRM principles (Chiva and Alegre,2005). Duff (2004) explains that learning styles indicate how an individual reacts to the training in psychological aspects, as well as characteristic cognitive and how it affects him. Where as Bryans and Mavin (2003) describes learning style as a behavioral change which could be observed due to a process in an individual’s mind. Another definition for learning style is brought in as a way selected by an individual to filter a given set of information, absorb and process (Given,2002, in Zumitzavan,2010). Honey and Mumford introduced a group of learning styles based on Kolb’s Learning Cycle Theory (Zumitzavan,2010). Honey and Mumford also emphasis the fact that different ways of learning styles can be used to help the individual to learn and absorb the best of his learning experience even if its a deliberate or instinctive effort (Honey and Mumford, 1982). The 4 styles discussed above are Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatists.
Figure 1: Relationship between Kolb’s Learning Cycle and Honey & Mumford’s Learning styles
(Beever,2017)
Zumitzavan (2010) describes the 4 learning styles as follows. •Activist – Desire to act than to listen -Prefer to work as a group than have discussions -Like challenges -Outgoing, open •Reflector – Desire to observe than guide -Prefer to think cautiously and reflect on the information -Gives a lot of attention to details -Take time to absorb •Theorist – Desire to logically think -Prefer to analyse systems and theories -Like to work alone •Pragmatists -Desire to experiment and try out -Acts fast and confidently -Thinks practically when a problem given
Figure 2: Honey & Mumford learning styles
(Howes,2014)
In my organization, which is the Aircraft Engineering department of a leading airline in the country, the following job roles suits the above-mentioned learning styles. •Activist – Aircraft Technicians •Reflector – Technical Training Instructors •Theorist – Engineering Quality Inspectors •Pragmatist – Aircraft Engineers The following video will give a further description relevant to Honey & Mumford’s learning styles. It also will educate the viewer with the strengths and weaknesses of each learning style which can be used by the organization to plan and prepare their learning programs to different groups of employees within the organization.
(Student Success Space,2017)
References
Beever, G. (2017) Peter Honey and Alan Mumford Learning Styles, extensionaus [Online]. Available at: https://extensionaus.com.au/extension-practice/peter-honey-and-alan-mumford-learning-styles/. [Accessed on 85 September 2019]. Bryans, P., Mavin, S. (2003) Women learning to become managers: Learning to fit in or to play a different game?. Management Learning, 34 (1), pp.111- 134 Brix, J., Lauridsen, K. (2012). Learning styles and organisational development in practice: an exploratory study of how learning styles and individual learning strategies can facilitate organisational development. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 12(2), pp.181–196 Chiva, R., Alegre, J. (2005) Organisational learning styles and organisational values in the ceramic tile sector. International Journal of Learning and Change, 1(1), pp.96–109 Duff, A. (2004) Approaches to learning: The revised approaches to studying inventory. Active Learning in Higher Education, 5 (1), pp. 56-72 Gilaninia, S., Rankouh, M.A.A., Gildeh, M.A.P. (2013). Overview on the importance of organizational learning and learning organization. Journal of Research and Development, 1(2), pp. 44-49 Honey, P., Mumford, A. (1982) The Manual of Learning Styles, Maidenhead, Peter Honey Publications. Howes, A. (2014) Honey and Mumford Learning Styles – A simple picture. DPG Community [Online]. Available at: https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/honey-and-mumford-learning-styles-a-simple-picture. [Accessed on 21 September 2019]. Student Success Space (2017) Honey-Mumford Learning Style [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izMEy-UiRKM . [Accessed on 20 September 2019]. Zumitzavan, V. (2010) The impact of managers’ learning styles and leadership styles and the effectiveness of their organisations: a case study from small retail tyre companies in Thailand [Online]. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Birmingham. Available at: https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/1379/1/Zumitzavan10PhD.pdf. [Accessed on 20 September 2019].
When carrying out training and development sessions for the employees in an organization, it is important to identify which learning style the learners will utilize the best to grasp the information. Learner’s experience related to the scope of work, intelligence and personality drive him towards a prominent leadership style within him (Sreenidhi and Chinyi, 2017). We discussed about some learning styles in the earlier post and now we will discuss about another group of Learning styles which are very common among all age groups and all fields of professions. Neil Fleming introduced “VAK Learning styles” which describes another group of how learners absorb the information and process (Cherry,2019). VAK is an acronym for Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. These styles use the main sensors in human body to gather information. Shreenidhi and Chinyi (2017) also says that even most people have a blend of all 3 learning styles where one style can have a stronger influence or all the blended styles have equally shared properties. Fayombo (2015) says that learners with a blend of learning styles from the 3 mediums in VAK are the ones who achieves the highest achievements in their learning programmes. Hence, he further iterates that it is important for the trainer to identify the significant learning styles of the learners at the beginning of the training programme and to compose his training accordingly.
Figure 1: VAK Learning Styles
(Whitfield,2019)
According to Sreenidhi & Chinyi (2017) and Moayyeri (2015), a brief description of the VAK components and it’s characteristics can be laid down as follows. •Visual – Note things down and keep the notes displayed around the workplace -Sits in the front rows of the classroom so they can clearly see the trainer and the board so they can copy what’s there easily -Use mind-mapping to remember vast details -Use highlighters, videos to study -Scores well in essays, mapping, describing processes •Auditory – Prefers listening to recordings of the trainings over reading notes -Eagerly take part in discussions and ask questions -Repetition and read out loud -Put information into mnemonics to remember information. -Scores well in writing, questions in lectures and oral examinations •Kinaesthetic- Like to create models for principles -Practice techniques -Participates in hands-on activities and simulations -Scores well in MCQs and fill in the blanks Vaishnav (2013), upon his research says that out of his subject participants, 33.5% are more towards Visual style, 28.5% are towards Auditory style and the majority, a 38% are prominent in Kinaesthetic style. However, it is important to an organisation that the trainings conducted for the employees should be compiled in a way that the group of learners will have the maximum absorption out of it. Hence, understanding the preferred learning style among the learner group is important to reap high productivity from the training programme. Fayombo (2014) highlights that factors such as gender, age, level and mode of study needs to be considered when selecting the learning strategies to achieve the desired outcome. In the organisation I’m employed in, which is a leading airline in the country, the Aircraft Maintenance Department has identified these learning styles and have a fair share on all 3 learning styles incorporated in the training programmes. Each training session will use one prominent training style with a blend of the rest. The Aircraft Type training comprises of the Theoretical and Practical elements which includes classroom training (Visual), referring to various manuals (Visual & Auditory), hands on experience on aircrafts (Kineasthetic), ACT ( Airbus Competence Training) trainer sessions (Visual, Auditory & Kineasthetic).
Figure 2: Use of Airbus ACT Trainer
(Airbus, 2015)
Click here to check which type of Learning Style suits you in your organisation (Anon, 2019)
<https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/vak-learning-styles-self-test/> References Anon (2019) VAK Learning Styles, Business Balls [Online]. Available at <https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/vak-learning-styles-self-test/> . [Accessed on 12 September 2019]. Airbus (2015) Simulation Maintenance Avion, Airbus SAS [Online]. Available at <http://www.lyceeairbus.com/simulation-maintenance-avion/>. [Accessed on 16 September 2019]. Cherry, K. (2019) Overview of VARK Learning Styles- Which Learning Style Do You Have? Very well mind [Online]. Available at <https://www.verywellmind.com/vark-learning-styles-2795156>, [Accessed on 25 September 2019]. Fayombo, G. (2014) Enhancing Learning Outcomes in Psychology through Active Learning Strategies in Classroom and Online Learning Environments, International Journal of Learning & Development, 4(3), pp. 114-130. Fayombo, G. (2015) Learning Styles, Teaching Strategies and Academic Achievement among some Psychology Undergraduates in Barbados, Caribbean Educational Research Journal, 3(2), pp. 46-61. Franklin, S. (2006) VAKing out learning styles – why the notion of ‘learning styles’ is unhelpful to teachers, International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early years Education, 34(1), pp. 3-13. Moayyeri, H. (2015) The Impact of Undergraduate Students’ Learning Preferences (VARK Model) on Their Language Achievement, Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(1), pp. 132-139. Sreenidhi, S. K., Chinyi, H. T.(2017) Styles of Learning Based on the Research of Fernald, Keller, Orton, Gillingham, Stillman, Montessori and Neil D Fleming, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, 3(4), pp. 17-25. Vaishnav, R. S. (2013) Learning Styles and Academic Achievements of Secondary School Students, Voice of Research, 1(4), pp.1-4. Whitefield. G. (2019) Upon this rock I will build my Instructional Design, GP Strategies [Online]. Available at https://www.gpstrategiesltd.com/learning-lab/upon-this-rock_5.shtml . [Accessed on 15 September 2019].
It is important for the organization to identify the trend of the learners in the organization, which learning style they prefer in order to help them grasp the content as much as possible. As Martin, Kolomitro and Lamb (2014) says, along with the learners’ learning style, the trainer’s method or medium of training, shares same weight of effectivity in the training programme. Hence, the trainer is responsible of identifying the suitable method to deliver his training (Salas et al, 2012). There are several training methods used by organisations. Each method has it’s own unique characteristics which, depending on the content of the training programme, learners’ professional background and experience, it can be an advantage or a disadvantage with respect to the quality and effectiveness of training. Upon these factors the trainer shall select a suitable training method and execute his programme. According to Raheja (2015), following are methods, organisations use commonly to carry out training and development sessions. •Action Learning oA small group working on problems and issues, taking action, and learning as individuals, subsequently as a team. It helps organizations to develop creative, flexible and productive implementations to achieve common goals. •Blended Learning oA classroom theoretical training session followed by a practical training session. This method is ideal for a group of learners on a technical discipline, where imparted theoretical training can be practically viewed and experienced. •Business Games oUsing a practically applicable subject and given a chance to logically analyse and response. This can be utilised to evaluate several managerial skills such as leadership skills, time management, communication etc. •Case Studies oA discussion-based training where learners should study a scenario and come up with solutions, remedies as applicable. •Coaching oA one-on-one training method. Its ideal to train a special skill required in the organisation. •Continuing Professional Development (CPD) oAlso termed as “Life Long Learning”, where it focuses on maintaining the knowledge and skills related to the profession throughout their career (Collin, Van der Heijden and Lewis, 2012). Usually it is incorporated in short trainings conducted by professional bodies, involved in that profession. •E-Learning oGoyal (2012) describes E-Learning as a training given without any printed documents. It is the flag carrier of modern education. It uses the modern telecommunication methods to deliver learning materials. •Job Rotation oAn employee been rotated in different jobs. This will enable him train on a series of related jobs and the organisation can cross utilise him given various situations. •Lecture oThe most traditional and direct method which is mainly for large participants. However, it mostly used by colleges and universities more than organisations. •Mentoring oThis method is ideal for attitude development of executive/managerial staff. A senior staff or a reputed professional can be used to mentor the employees. •On the Job Training oOnce basic trainings are completed, trainees can be deployed on, on the job training so they will have an in detail idea about the job role they will have to work on. •Outdoor Training oTrainings carried out in outdoor facilities mostly by professional trainers. These are used mainly for leaners attitude development rather than their professional skills. •Role- Playing oThe learner is given a role in a scenario and is expected to study the impacts of the issue. It gives a “real world” experience by giving a chance to study contents out of the work scope. •Self- Development oUsing your own experience to review and learn. Also, this includes learning by the trainee himself by referring to study materials relevant. •Simulations oCreating an artificial scenario identical to the actual environment to give a real time experience.
Figure 1: A group of employees in a training session.
(Silver,2018)
The
organisation I’m employed in, also utilise these methods in order to carry out
different training sessions. Since it’s an Aircraft Maintenance organisation,
training sessions are mostly based on technical aspects of the aircraft.
However, “Safety” given the priority in the aviation industry, training on
Regulatory Framework and Human Factors is given utmost importance as well.
Hence, training on these aspects related to the industry also takes place very
frequently (SriLankan Airlines,2019). Following is a brief example on how this
organisation incorporates few of the methods we discussed earlier, into the
training sessions for the employees.
Action Learning
oSpecial teams dedicated for
defect rectification is briefed at the beginning of every shift by the duty
engineer on what the prominent defects are and have a discussion on how to
rectify them without disrupting the aircraft schedule.
·Blended Learning
oAircraft/Engine Type training
comprises of theoretical (classroom training) and Practical elements (field
visits, hands on training) where the trainee is expected to pass both elements.
·Coaching
oEngineers in workshops give
individual attention to trainees and coach them with different skills (Ex:
repairs using sheet metal and composites) during practical training.
·Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)
oContinuation training, which
is conducted every 2 years, is mandatory for all technicians and engineers. It
is comprised of refresher trainings on Aviation legislation, Human Factors etc.
·E-Learning
o“Safety Management System”
refresher trainings are conducted through online portals. Once the trainee goes
through the given study material, he is expected to answer a set of questions.
·Job Rotation
oEngineers from Line Maintenance
and Base Maintenance have a rotation basis transfer to Technical Training School
in order to train trainees.
·Lecture
oContinuation trainings are
conducted in lectures for a group of employees. Another example for this method
is the lectures carried out by Engineers to the Technicians during audit
preparations.
·Mentoring
oThe practical Instructors
mentor trainees from Technical Training School who are following Basic courses
as it is their birth in the field of Aircraft Maintenance. They mainly focus on
developing the attitude of trainees to make them ready for this challenging
field.
·On the job Training
oTrainees
who have completed their Basic Training courses at SriLankan Technical Training
will be trained by Engineers and Technicians before enrolling them to the job
role.
·Outdoor Training
oRostered teams will be given
special training in attitude development, problem solving and team building in
an external outdoor facility by outsourced training professionals followed by a
fellowship dinner. This helps the team members to bond and enhance the
togetherness which is an essential factor in this dynamic 24*7 operating
industry.
·Self- Development
oWhenever regulatory framework
is changed or new policies or procedures are implemented, the Aircraft
Engineers should read the revised/new documents. He is expected to self-study
the material and adhere to them as applicable. Following which he shall fill
the “Read and Sign” registry, conforming his competence over the subject.
·Simulations
oAirbus ACT (Airbus Competence
Training) Training tool is used for Aircraft/Engine type training where the
trainee can simulate various maintenance activities using the application.
Figure 2: Engineering Instructor and a group of On the job trainees
(SriLankan Aviation College,2018)
References Collin, K., Van der Heijden, B., Lewis, P. (2012) Continuing Professional Development. International Journal of Training and Development, 16(3), pp. 155-163 Goyal, S. (2012) E-Learning: Future of Education. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(2), pp. 239-242. Martin, B. O., Kolomitro, K., Lamb, C. M. T. (2014) Training Methods: A Review and Analysis. Human Resource Development Review, 13(1), pp. 11-35. Raheja, K. (2015) Methods of Training and Development. Innovative Journal of Business and Management, 4(2), pp. 35-41 Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Kraiger, K., Smith-Jentsch, K. A. (2012) The Science of Training and development in Organizations: What matters in Practice. Psychological science in the public interest, 13(2), pp. 74-101 Silver, J. (2018) What Are The Most Effective Training Techniques in Today’s Changing Business Environments. Training Station [Online]. Available at: <https://trainingstation.walkme.com/different-types-of-training-methods/>. [Accessed on 07 September 2019]. SriLankan Airlines (2019) EASA Approved Maintenance Organisation Exposition, Issue 04 Revision 03, Colombo: SriLankan Airlines SriLankan Aviation College (2018) Foundation Course in Aircraft Maintenance. SriLankan Aviation College [Online]. Available at < http://srilankanaviationcollege.com/what-we-offer/Course/Foundation-Course-Aircraft-Maintenance> . [Accessed on 07 September 2019].
The learning organisation, as the name implies, is expected to grow each passing day facing the challenges fired at it from the corporate world. Despite all these challenges, the organisation and it’s employees need to step up to the game and continue the way forward to meet the company’s goals. In order to prepare the employees and the organisation be competent enough to emerge winners in the corporate world, they should be well trained and equipped with sufficient knowledge with respect to their job role. In the earlier posts, it was discussed on what are the training and development methods, how to identify the learning styles among the learners and the importance of training to an organisation.
However, having the best trainers to deliver the training or accurately identifying the learning styles of the learners alone will not make the training programme productive (Kim, Kim and Miner, 2009). There are other aspects of the training which need to be looked up in order to make maximum use of the resources invested for the said training. First, the organisation needs to analyse the target group and figure out the most prominent learning style among them and design the training programme accordingly. McLeod (2017) suggests that the training program needs to be designed and delivered in a manner where every learner will have a chance in absorbing the information in the style which suits him the best. Furthermore, he emphasis, the learner needs to be aware about his weakest styles of learning and strengthening it to make the maximum of any training program. Therefore, he will benefit from any learning opportunity becoming an all-round learner (Rosewell,2005). This ability can be used for the learner’s personal development and also the organisation can make use of his learning abilities and allocate him for outside training sessions which can bring added value to the organisation.
Argote and Miron-Spektor (2011) states that experience is the birth of learning. Hence, most of the organisational trainings base on experience since it can be absorbed fast and accurately. An engineering student will grasp the knowledge on a field visit to a production plant more than a mere power point presentation on the same matter. Likewise, the training programmes need to be designed to cater the target group’s competencies and strengths. Another aspect, which is important to look into is, the competencies and styles of learning of the trainers themselves. It is as much important for the trainers as the learners, to identify their preferred learning styles in order to improve them and foster more efficient training skills for the learners (Turesky and Gallagher, 2011). One important detail is that the trainers can be allocated for specific trainings catering to their own preferred training style and also to designate that training to a group who will share the same preferred style. A more “Theorist biased” trainer can be deployed for theoretical trainings where a more “Pragmatist biased” trainer can be deployed in carrying out practical aspect of a training. Hence, the trainer’s efficiency will be higher than what it could’ve been vice-versa, therefore, the organisation and the learners will be benefitted by a more productive program. The training arm of the organisation I’m employed in, utilises a “Train the Trainer” program which supports the trainers to identify more on their strengths and weaknesses and help them add value to their training skills (SLAC,2019).
In the earlier posts, it was discussed about the training methods an organisation can be utilised to deliver trainings. Kolb and Kolb (2013) emphasis the importance of selecting the correct and most relevant method on delivering the training. Similar to the earlier examples used, if the ideal training method is not identified and executed, both the trainer and the learner will have a difficulty in making the most of the session and organisation wise it would be a waste of time and valuable resources (Penger, Tekavčič and Dimovski, 2008). The organisation I’m employed in, which is the maintenance arm of a leading airline in the country, uses various methods to deliver trainings. The methods comprise of but not limited to classroom lectures, on the job trainings, simulations and mentoring. All these methods are at times used in the same training program during different sections in order to support the learner to absorb as much as possible. The Engineering type trainings comprise of classroom lectures for the theoretical part, simulations in the classroom practical trainings and on the job training during the off classroom practical training (SriLankan Airlines, 2019).
In organisation perspective, it is understood that the learner’s and trainer’s preferred learning styles and the method of training at different sessions need to be evaluated earlier and due attention needs to be given to select the most suitable combination. However, Bratianu (2015) highlights the fact that facilitating with the best trainers or the method or the combination of both only will not help learners grasp information to the level organisation expects them to. He states that, for the learners to effectively learn the new information or strategy there should be a part of unlearning as well. This unlearning can be of human nature and non human nature. Change of habits and beliefs can be identified as ways of human aspects of unlearning and non human entities can be described as amendments to rules and procedures which governs the learners within the organisation. It is important to note that the learner will shape himself in line with the changed rules and procedures faster than the change of habits and routines (Bratianu, 2015). If the organisation does not identify this fact, and react to the slow learning curve of the learner, there will be a chance of the learner being demotivated and affect the organisation productivity directly.
The organisation has the key responsibility in facilitating the employees with adequate infrastructure to carry out their job roles efficiently and also to have successful training sessions by providing the necessary facilities we discussed earlier in this post. Beer, Finnstrom and Schrader (2016) implies that no matter how strong is the infrastructure within the organisation, there should be a “psychologically safe” climate within the organisation to support the employees. Ability to speak up, mutual respect is of utmost importance to have an excellent learning culture within the organisation. They use the parable of a fertile soil and the seeds that, for the seeds to be planted and grow into a big tree which bears fruit, it is essential to have fertile soil. Hence, it is understood that having a safe work atmosphere is also a necessity for trainings to be productive within the organisation and to be able to bear fruit in time to come.
The following video will explain some steps to use effective training which can be used in any organisation.
Video 1: Seven steps for highly effective employee training
(Goldberg,2018)
References
Argote, L., Miron-Spektor, E. (2011) Organizational learning. From experience to knowledge. Organization Science, 22(5), pp.123-1137
Beer, M., Finnstrom, M., Schrader, D. (2016) The Great Training Robbery. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 16-121 [online]. Available at: http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/16-121_bc0f03ce-27de-4479-a90e-9d78b8da7b67.pdf [Accessed 02 September 2019].
Bratianu, C. (2015) Organizational Knowledge Dynamics: Managing Knowledge Creation, Acquisition, Sharing, and Transformation. 1st ed, Hershey, IGI Global.
Goldberg, S. (2018) The Seven Steps for Highly Effective Employee Training & Coaching [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+training+effectively+in+an+organisation . [Accessed on 04th September 2019).
Kolb, A., Y., Kolb, A., D. (2013) The Kolb Learning Style Inventory 4.0 [Online]. Available at: <https://learningfromexperience.com/downloads/research-library/the-kolb-learning-style-inventory-4-0.pdf>. [Accessed on 5th September 2019].
McLeod, S (2017) Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle. Simply Psychology [Online]. Available at: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html >. [Accessed on 04th September 2019].
Penger, S., Tekavčič, M., Dimovski, V. (2008) Comparison, Validation And Implications Of Learning Style Theories In Higher Education In Slovenia: An Experiential And Theoretical Case, Business & Economic Research Journal, 7(12), pp. 25-44.
Kim, J.-Y., J.-Y. Kim, A. S. Miner. 2009. Organizational learning from extreme performance experience: The impact of success and recovery experience. Organization Science, 20(6), pp. 958–978.
Rosewell, J. (2005) Learning Styles [Online]. Available at: <https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ocw/pluginfile.php/629607/mod_resource/content/1/t175_4_3.pdf>. [Accessed on 01st September 2019].
SriLankan Aviation College (2019) EASA Approved Maintenance Training Organisation Exposition, Issue 03, Revision 02, Colombo: SriLankan Airlines.
Turesk, F., Gallagher, D. (2011) Know thyself: Coaching for leadership using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, The Coaching Psychologist, 7(1), pp. 05-14.
