20.5 Manpower Training
20.5.1 Maintenance Skills Facts
Let us face the facts about maintenance skills:
(1) All staff members are not fully skilled, either for service delivery or for
maintenance work.
(2) Not all incompetent staff can be made redundant.
(3) Recruiting skilled staff (service delivery or maintenance) is not easy.
(4) Repetitive equipment problems are mostly caused by staff skill deficiencies.
(5) A staff member who feels competent is more motivated and will work better.
(6) Skill deficiency, rather than lack of concern or commitment may cause staff to be
disciplined.
(7) When staff members are unsure about the right approach to carry out a specific
task, they become stressed or frustrated.
(8) Companies may devote a large budget on training without any real expectation
of results or a method of assessing the results.
The planning and implementation of a skills training (both service delivery or
for maintenance) programme must form part of a well-developed strategy. Given
that each sector (and sometimes, each plant) is special with respect to its
equipment, personnel, work culture, skill levels and social attitudes, there is no
room for any preconceived ideas when a training programme is being planned.
20.5.2 Steps to a Successful Training Programme
It is not difficult to organise a training program within an organisation, provided a
few precautions are taken. Table 20.4 outlines the steps required in such an
undertaking.
20.5.3 How to Get the Training an Organization Needs
It is important for the company to understand that management must be committed
towards training, for it to be successful. Developing and implementing a training
programme entails time and money, but the benefits usually go far beyond the
associated costs. Management needs to be reminded that adults, should in principle,
observe, see or do something some 7 to 21 times in order to absorb and remember the
information. Table 20.5 gives some details about different types of training that may
be provided.
However, there may be significant barriers or blocks to learning, as given in
Table 20.6.
20.5 Manpower Training
587
20.5.1 Maintenance Skills Facts
Let us face the facts about maintenance skills:
(1) All staff members are not fully skilled, either for service delivery or for
maintenance work.
(2) Not all incompetent staff can be made redundant.
(3) Recruiting skilled staff (service delivery or maintenance) is not easy.
(4) Repetitive equipment problems are mostly caused by staff skill deficiencies.
(5) A staff member who feels competent is more motivated and will work better.
(6) Skill deficiency, rather than lack of concern or commitment may cause staff to be
disciplined.
(7) When staff members are unsure about the right approach to carry out a specific
task, they become stressed or frustrated.
(8) Companies may devote a large budget on training without any real expectation
of results or a method of assessing the results.
The planning and implementation of a skills training (both service delivery or
for maintenance) programme must form part of a well-developed strategy. Given
that each sector (and sometimes, each plant) is special with respect to its
equipment, personnel, work culture, skill levels and social attitudes, there is no
room for any preconceived ideas when a training programme is being planned.
20.5.2 Steps to a Successful Training Programme
It is not difficult to organise a training program within an organisation, provided a
few precautions are taken. Table 20.4 outlines the steps required in such an
undertaking.
20.5.3 How to Get the Training an Organization Needs
It is important for the company to understand that management must be committed
towards training, for it to be successful. Developing and implementing a training
programme entails time and money, but the benefits usually go far beyond the
associated costs. Management needs to be reminded that adults, should in principle,
observe, see or do something some 7 to 21 times in order to absorb and remember the
information. Table 20.5 gives some details about different types of training that may
be provided.
However, there may be significant barriers or blocks to learning, as given in
Table 20.6.
20.5 Manpower Training
587