D1.HRD.CL9.04 D1.HHR.CL8.04 Trainee Manual

Prepare and deliver training sessions

D1.HRD.CL9.04

D1.HHR.CL8.04

Trainee Manual

Prepare and deliver

training sessions

D1.HRD.CL9.04

D1.HHR.CL8.04

Trainee Manual

Project Base

William Angliss Institute of TAFE 555 La Trobe Street Melbourne 3000 Victoria Telephone: (03) 9606 2111 Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330

Acknowledgements

Project Director: Wayne Crosbie Chief Writer: Alan Hickman Subject Writer: Nick Hyland Project Manager: Alan Maguire Editor: Jim Irwin DTP/Production: Daniel Chee, Mai Vu, Jirayu Thangcharoensamut

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

General Information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org.

All text is produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE for the ASEAN Project on “Toolbox Development for Priority Tourism Labour Division”.

This publication is supported by Australian Aid through the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II).

Copyright: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2012.

All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from errors or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. ASEAN Secretariat and William Angliss Institute of TAFE are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Time of publication is indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page.

Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from various stock photography suppliers and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable and non-exclusive.

Additional images have been sourced from Flickr and are used under:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

http://www.sxc.hu/

File name: TM_Prepare_&_deliver_training_sessions_310812.docx

http://www.asean.org/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

© ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual


Table of contents

Introduction to trainee manual ........................................................................................... 1

Unit descriptor................................................................................................................... 3

Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5

Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 7

Element 1: Determine training requirements ..................................................................... 9

Element 2: Prepare training plan ..................................................................................... 39

Element 3: Deliver training sessions ............................................................................... 81

Presentation of written work .......................................................................................... 119

Recommended reading ................................................................................................. 121

Trainee evaluation sheet ............................................................................................... 123

Introduction to trainee manual


Prepare and deliver training sessions 1


To the Trainee

Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a „toolbox‟ which is a resource provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become competent in various areas of your work.

The „toolbox‟ consists of three elements:

A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or in class

A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the training material and provide class activities to help with practice

An Assessment Manual which provides your Assessor with oral and written questions and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you have achieved competency.

The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the information you find in the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously. This is because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and CBA is the training and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) to train people to work in the tourism and hospitality industry throughout all the ASEAN member states.

What is the CBT and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN?

CBT is a way of training that concentrates on what a worker can do or is required to do at work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to perform tasks and duties at a standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to produce the type of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases trainees chances of obtaining employment.

CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can already demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work experience, a process of „Recognition of Prior Learning‟ (RPL) is available to trainees to recognise this. Please speak to your trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you.

What is a competency standard?

Competency standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a task or activity at the level of a required standard.

242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout the ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work in the following occupational areas:

Housekeeping

Food Production

Food and Beverage Service


2


Front Office

Travel Agencies

Tour Operations.

All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading „Unit Descriptor‟. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into „Elements‟ and „Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be achieved in the workplace. The „Performance Criteria‟ below each element details the level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent.

There are other components of the competency standard:

Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace

Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency

Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete the competency. We call them „nominal‟ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she has prior knowledge or work experience in that area.

The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the „Assessment Matrix‟. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use other assessment methods including „Observation Checklist‟ and „Third Party Statement‟. An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers.

Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:

Journals

Oral presentations

Role plays

Log books

Group projects

Practical demonstrations.

Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism and hospitality.

Unit descriptor



Unit descriptor


This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Prepare and deliver training sessions in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries workplace context.

Unit Code:

D1.HRD.CL9.04 D1.HHR.CL8.04

Nominal Hours:

40 hours

Element 1: Determine training requirements

Performance Criteria

1.1 Identify current competencies of learners

1.2 Identify required competencies for learners

1.3 Describe the training gap for learners

1.4 Confirm the identified training gap with relevant personnel

1.5 Determine support available for training provision

1.6 Present recommendations for training

Element 2: Prepare training plan


2.1 Develop session outlines for approved training

2.2 Develop training content

2.3 Develop training resources and materials

2.4 Develop individual training sessions

2.5 Organize training requirements

Element 3: Deliver training sessions


3.1 Confirm attendance of learners at the training session

3.2 Prepare the training venue for the training session

3.3 Introduce training topic to learners

Unit descriptor

4


3.4 Explain the training and assessment activities involved in the training session

3.5 Present training session

3.6 Provide opportunities for learners to practice skills

3.7 Provide feedback to learners

3.8 Ensure on-going safety of learners during training delivery and practice

Assessment matrix



Assessment matrix

Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written

Questions and Oral Questions

Work

Projects

Written

Questions

Oral

Questions


1.1 Identify current competencies of learners 1.1 1 1

1.2 Identify required competencies for learners 1.2 2,3 2

1.3 Describe the training gap for learners 1.3 4,5 3

1.4 Confirm the identified training gap with relevant personnel

1.4 6 4

1.5 Determine support available for training provision

1.5 7 5

1.6 Present recommendations for training 1.6 8 6


2.1 Develop session outlines for approved training 2.1 9,10 7

2.2 Develop training content 2.2 11 8

2.3 Develop training resources and materials 2.3 12,13 9

2.4 Develop individual training sessions 2.4 14 10

2.5 Organize training requirements 2.5 15,16 11


3.1 Confirm attendance of learners at the training session

3.1 17,18 12

3.2 Prepare the training venue for the training session

3.2 19,20 13

3.3 Introduce training topic to learners 3.3 21,22 14

3.4 Explain the training and assessment activities involved in the training session

3.4 23 15

3.5 Present training session 3.5 24,25,26 16

3.6 Provide opportunities for learners to practice skills

3.6 27 17

Assessment matrix

6


Work

Projects

Written

Questions

Oral

Questions

3.7 Provide feedback to learners 3.7 28,29 18

3.8 Ensure on-going safety of learners during training delivery and practice

3.8 30 19

Glossary



Glossary

Term Explanation

Anxiety Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of failure

Assessment The act of assessing; appraisal; evaluation

Attendance The persons or number of persons present

Attitude Manner, feeling, position, with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind

Autonomous Independent, no control from others

Behaviour Manner of acting in response to internal and external stimuli

Checklist A list of items, as names or tasks, for comparison, verification, or other checking purposes

Clarify To make clear, understood

Comparing To examine (two or more objects, ideas, people, etc.) in order to note similarities and differences:

Competency The demonstrated ability to consistently perform discrete tasks under specified conditions to an agreed standard.

Counselling Advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another

Data Pieces of information

Documents A written or printed paper furnishing information or evidence

Enhancement To rise to a higher level or understanding

Evidence That which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof

Feedback Information, reaction or response to a particular process or activity

Format The organization, plan or style

Generic General

Immediacy Urgency, need to be done immediately

Glossary

8


Term Explanation

Knowledge Understanding of facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation

Liaise To talk and discuss

Literacy Ability to read and write

Numeracy Ability to calculate

Objective Aim, end result

Performance The execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc

Performance assessment The activity of evaluating a person‟s performance

Performance appraisal The act of estimating or judging a person‟s performance

Performance indicator The expected level of desired performance

Policy A rule or guideline of expected performance

Principles An accepted or professed rule of action or conduct

Procedure A specified step by step guide how an activity is to be conducted

Sequencing The logical order in which something is done

Skill The ability to do something well

Standard The desired level of performance

Task An activity required to be completed




Element 1:

Determine training requirements

1.1 Identify current competencies of learners

Introduction

The purpose of any organisation is to provide an expected level of service to its customers. Every business will have their own type and style of service that it provides to ensure it is unique and different to other offerings in the marketplace. Regardless of the style of service, who provides service will remain the same amongst all businesses, regardless of size, location or industry. It is staff – the most important aspect of any business.

In order for staff to be able to deliver the expected service they must:

Know what the service standards are

Have the competencies to be able to deliver the service standards.

Competency

Competence is the demonstrated ability to consistently perform discrete tasks under specified conditions to an agreed standard.

Competency comprises knowledge and skills and the consistent application of that knowledge and skills to the standard of performance required in employment.

Competency can be defined as the ability to do something. In order to do something a person will require a combination of three things:

Knowledge – called the cognitive domain. These are the „head‟ skills such as what people think and their level of knowledge

Skill – called the psychomotor domain. These are the „hand‟ skills such as what people can do

Attitude – called the affective domain. These are the „heart‟ skills such as what people feel.

Training is a key to being able to develop the competencies of staff.

Every organisation will have dedicated training programs aimed at ensuring all staff are able to develop their competency levels to meet the desired standards.

Lots of on-the-job training will be skill-related, but nearly every training event has a need to include coverage of the attitude and knowledge areas, too.

In the hospitality industry where customer interaction and service is vital, it is not enough to be able to perform a practical task. It is equally important to be able to accompany the skill with the right interpersonal skills that are all attitude-based.


10


As the current competency levels of staff are as varied and different as the staff themselves, the level of participation in different training initiatives will also vary.

Training is only valuable if it enables the participant to learn. If a staff member already is competent in a certain area of knowledge, skill or attitude, any training in this area will not be beneficial.

Identifying current competencies of learners

Before staff will be called upon to undertake training, a manager must identify if a learning need exists.

This involves understanding:

Current competencies of learners (explained in this section)

Comparing them against expected competency standards (explained in the next section).

The ways in which you can capture the necessary information about competencies of learners include:

Review their personnel file

One way of identifying competencies of learners is to review background information about each learner. Information contained in their personnel file will provide sound background information including:

Resume – their resume will give a „snapshot‟ of what they have achieved in their professional life to date and is a great starting point in understanding a learner

Current qualifications - check to see the qualifications they hold, how long ago they were obtained and where they were obtained

Training programs completed - check their attendance at current training and look at the progress they have made with other in-house training situations

Length of employment – the longer the person has been employed, normally will lead to the assumption that they have higher competency levels

Structure of employment – what is their job role, have they changed jobs, have they had exposure to multi-skilling

Awards and comments – the file may contain guest comment cards either positive or negative, managers may have constructed comments or awards may have been issued

Performance appraisal information – this document provides extensive and detailed information relating to the current competency levels of a learner in all aspects of their job.




Talk to people:

Talking to people is a great way to get current information regarding the competency levels of a learner. Some documents located in the learner file may be outdated or not descriptive enough to identify true competency, therefore speaking with others will also help answer any remaining questions. People to talk to include:

Talk to the learner – ask them about their training history, their preferences and their attitude to learning in the workplace: find out what, if any, obstacles stand in the way of their workplace learning (factors such as family commitments, sport and other learning activities)

Speak to other trainers – What can they tell you about the learners? Based on their experiences, where are possible strengths and weaknesses?

Speak to other supervisors who have delivered training – what information can they give you about what seems to work and not work with certain staff, in their experience.

Observation

One of the most effective ways to determine and understand a learner‟s competency level is to observe what the learner is able to do.

This may be done by the trainer or another suitable person.

Trainer collecting competency evidence

This is most common form of conducting the observation and collection of evidence.

The trainer may wish to notify the learner or may wish to do it without their knowledge to gather a true understanding of competency.

The trainer may use a checklist or other documents to help identify current competency levels.

Two examples of checklists to record competency have been included on the next pages as examples. These checklists are based on the role of a waiter and are designed to record competency in two aspects:

a) Example A – identifies all competencies required by a waiter

b) Example B – identifies specific competencies relating to the service cycle

As you can see, these checklists are prepared in a format that is easy to use, whilst still providing an area for specific comment.

The marking is aimed at what percentage of specific criteria they are competent in. As different staff within a department will have different skill levels, it focuses on what staff can successfully do and what still needs to be achieved for full competency.


12


Waiter Competency Checklist – All Competencies

Competency Task

% of competency in task

Comment

25% 50% 75% 100%

Restaurant layout

Hours of operation

Company knowledge

General knowledge

Food and beverage knowledge

Restaurant knowledge

Waiters priorities

Section awareness

Restaurant awareness

Phone answering

Opening and closing procedures

Docket writing

Service cycle

Station Set-up

Problem resolution

Cashiering

Waiters tools

General service

Bussing

Resetting

Reading guests

Co-ordination of large groups

Work Management




Waiter Competency Checklist - Specific Competency

Service cycle

Competency Task


Comment

25% 50% 75% 100%

Check dining and restaurant area

Restaurant area

Waiter station

Reception area

Bathrooms

Prepare and adjust the dining area (ambience and comfort)

Temperature

Lighting

Smell

Music

Table decorations

Set up furniture

Positioning

Number on each table

Table numbers

Allocation of waiters


14


Competency Task


Comment

25% 50% 75% 100%

Check and prepare equipment

Coffee area

Tea area

Cutlery

Crockery

Glassware

Condiments

Napkins

Waiter Station

Verify menu

Type of menu

Daily specials

Buffet menu items

Prepare and set tables

Types of covers

Place table linen

Dress tables

Check cleanliness prior to service

Remove, clean or replace items




Competency Task


Comment

25% 50% 75% 100%

Welcome customers

Greet customer

Observe special needs

Take coats and jackets

Check reservation

Offer pre-meal services

Escort and seat customers

Present menus and drinks lists

Provide food information

Take and process orders

Making recommendations

Answer customer questions

Take orders

Record orders

Relay information to kitchen or bar

Operate ordering systems

Provide and adjust glassware and cutlery


16


Competency Task


Comment

25% 50% 75% 100%

Serve & clear food and drinks

Collect food and beverage selections

Monitor flow of service

Recognise and follow up delays

Advise and reassure customers

Serve food and beverage

Check customer satisfaction

Offer additional food and beverage

Clear tables

Organise and present accounts

Process accounts

Farewell guests

Close down restaurant / dining area

Store and/or prepare equipment

Clean, clear or dismantle area

Set up area for next shift

Review and evaluate services

Provide handover to new shift




Others collecting competency evidence

If the observation was conducted by another person, the trainer will need to collect any documents, checklists and any other supporting evidence that comprises the observation.

They may wish to let the person know in advance of when the documentation will be required.

This information collection process may also include a brief meeting to verbally exchange information or comments not suitable for inclusion in written documentation.

Assessments

A trainer may wish to give a learner a range of assessment tasks to identify their current competency levels. These assessments may include:

Written or verbal questions

Demonstration

Project or assignment

Portfolio of work.

Once the true competency of learners has been identified, trainers must now identify the required competencies required by learners.

1.2 Identify required competencies for learners

Introduction

Workplace training and assessment is competency-based. This means successful completion of training requires the learners to be able to demonstrate competency in the areas in which they are being trained.

As a trainer, you need to know what these competencies are. The competencies to be achieved must be driven by the workplace process and context. This means that you train learners to be able to do the job as required in your workplace.

These competencies may be available in written form within your business but, in many cases, there are no written competencies. These workplace competencies simply exist in practice only and it will be part of your job to produce them in hard copy form.


18


Benefits of identifying desired competency standards

The benefits of identifying very clearly what the required competencies are include:

Knowing the standards or levels to which work has to be completed – in practice, many workplace tasks can be efficiently and effectively undertaken without a need for, for example, 100% accuracy at all times. The key being that you only need train staff to the standard required by your workplace

Knowing the competencies required provides the basis for planning the training content

Knowing the competencies required automatically starts to indicate the time that will be needed for training and the physical resources that will be needed

Understand the training requirements of the business – as a workplace trainer, you only need train staff to the standard required by the organisation

Understand the roles and responsibilities of each staff member – so you can determine what they need to know in order to do their job.

Methods to identify desired competency

Where you need to determine exactly what competencies apply to your business, the recommended procedure is to develop your own based on a combination of the following:

Observing workplace practice – to identify what takes place, to determine what learners need to know, to understand the context and the workplace pressures that apply

Reading various workplace documents – such as standard operating procedures, Job Analysis Sheets, job descriptions, job roles and responsibilities, company policies, product specifications and existing training materials

Talking to management – to identify their needs, wants and preferences in relation to how staff need to perform certain tasks and to identify their expectations of the training

Talking to staff – to identify what they believe are important parts of the job, to identify the acceptable and safe industry practices including in-house short cuts and techniques that are practised in the workplace

Talking to subject experts – within most businesses there will be certain staff who are seen as experts in certain areas. These can be senior staff, experienced workers or people with special expertise and training. You should talk to these people and use them as reference points for preparing and delivering training.




Performance standards

As well as understanding the required competencies staff members must have, it is essential that trainers understand what the acceptable performance standards are for each of these competencies.

Each competency will have a standard of performance that is required to be met by the employee undertaking that job.

These standards should be linked to the organisation‟s competitive strategies which, once achieved, would allow for the organisation to achieve its objectives and goals.

Performance standards are targets and as such, where possible, should be expressed objectively. That means expressing the standard in quantifiable terms such as:

The waiting time before presentation of the menu

The number of tables to be covered

How a room should be cleaned

Time taken to set up

Deadlines for reports

Turnover targets.

Where do performance standards come from?

Performance standard represent the level of performance and behaviour necessary for the job to be done successfully.

Performance standards can be determined by taking into account a variety of things such as:

Personal observation of actual practice – either in the venue or at some other venue

Past performance records

Time-work studies

Production and technical information

Industry standards

Consultation with employees

Benchmarking (best practice).

Job behaviour standards

As well as having performance standards for the various jobs, an organisation will also have job behaviour standards for employees. These behaviour standards, when met, ensure the individual behaves in a manner that also allows others to achieve their job standards. This allows the organisation to retain consistency throughout its operations.

Behavioural standards are most often found in an organisation‟s policies and should outline those behaviours that are expected and those that are unsuitable.


20


However, some behavioural standards are implicit. That is, they might not necessarily be told to the employee, but any reasonable person would expect the employee to behave in certain ways.

Implicit behavioural objectives might only be discovered when they are broken and may need a resulting policy to ensure others do not repeat the undesirable behaviour. For example, staff smoking at the side door in view of guests.

It is worth noting that job behaviour standards must be work related. That is, you must be able to prove that the behaviour is a necessary part of success in the job or organisation.

A behaviour standard must not reflect an irrelevant personal characteristic; otherwise your organisation would be guilty of discrimination. This might particularly be relevant in the area of personal grooming, where standards concerning weight and height would be discriminatory unless you could prove they are a bona fide job requirement.

Similarly, managers need to be careful that while their organisation might not accept certain behaviours, local governments and regulatory boards may take a different view.

For example, while your organisation might say it requires females to wear light make-up, this may not be considered fair in terms of local regulations or laws that may state an employee should wear no make-up.

In the same way, organisations may need to be careful in dictating that males should not wear earrings. Males wearing ear-rings would now be considered acceptable by society in general and in no way suggests a person is of ill repute or cannot deliver a service to a public standard.

Examples of standards of performance

Standards of performance may be developed in relation to:

Productivity

Food waiters may be expected to serve X number of people per service session

Room attendants may be expected to service X check-out or stay rooms per hour or per shift.

Punctuality

Employees may be expected to attend ready for work 100% of the time according to their rostered hours.

Personal presentation

Staff may be required to meet the stated dress standards for their gender 100% of the time.

Level of accuracy in work performed

Employees engaged in processing transactions may be required to do so with total accuracy

Some staff may be given a set percentage/dollar value of deviation in their calculations which is deemed acceptable.




Adherence to procedures

The venue may expect staff to adhere to written policies and procedures 100% of the time.

Customer service standards

Service staff may be required to use standard phrases, greetings and farewells at all times

Employees answering the telephone may be required to answer the phone within 3 rings every time.

Team interaction

Team members may be required to „actively participate‟ in team meetings.

Response times/waiting times

Waiting staff may be required to greet and seat guests within 1 minute of their arrival

Drink staff may be required to take a drink order from a table within 3 minutes of guests being seated

Room service staff may be required to deliver room service meals within a nominated timeframe.

Waste minimisation

Kitchen staff may be required to return X% of useable product from every kilogram of raw material.

Cost minimisation

Bar staff may be required to always use a nominated „pour‟ brand for all spirits where a specific brand name is not called for.

Now that we have identified the current competencies of staff and those required by the organisation, it is now time to compare them and identify where a training gap exists.

1.3 Describe the training gap for learners

Training Gap

The difference between actual and required performance is known as „the training gap‟, and this gap forms the basis for training aimed at raising performance to the required standard.

In order to see what training gap exists, it is important to compare the current competency level against the desired competency standards and then see where a training gap exists.


22


Identify the standard

The previous section has identified a range of competency and performance standards that may exist in a hospitality business. As a reminder, these standards may come from:

Job descriptions

Job Specifications

Key Performance Indicators

Policies and Procedures

Performance Indicators.

Comparing actual competency against desired competency

standard

Comparing actual learner competency against the desired competency standards requires the trainer to use the facts and to be specific.

When comparing, ensure the standards are up-to-date, or if it is a behaviour problem, trainers should check the actual wording of the policy or procedure which defines desirable and undesirable behaviour.

This comparison may require trainers to compare all the documents, checklist notes and meeting comments compiled in the research stage against a range of organisational documents.

Finally, managers need to be confident about using their judgement. The manager is paid by the organisation to do so and therefore required to do so. The organisation has confidence in their judgement.

Identify and understand differences between actual competency

and the desired competency standard

Actual competency above the desired standard

In this case, no training will be required as the person understands and has proven to be of an acceptable standard.

Actual competency below the desired standard

This is the most important aspect of the comparison as it will not only identify in which competencies a person requires improvement, but in which specific areas.

When starting to identify a training gap it is vital to understand the cause of the gap as training alone may not be enough to solve the problem.

Employee deficiencies in the workplace can be attributed to either poor work performance or poor work behaviour.




Both need to be identified and corrected if the organisation is to achieve its goals. It is the frontline or immediate supervisor who carries this responsibility.

In essence it may not be the staff member‟s fault for the poor performance.

Regardless of what has caused the poor performance the reason must be identified so management can make necessary changes.

Sources of substandard competency levels

Before training an employee it is worth considering the likely causes of work problems.

These sources may come from:

Employee qualities

These sources stem from the employee themselves and can include:

Problems of capacity, where the employee does not have the required aptitude or orientation for the tasks involved in the job, defects of judgement or memory

Family related problems, such as marital problems, children, elderly dependant relatives, money problems, isolation from family

Psychological problems, such as drug abuse (including alcohol), gambling, irrational fears, depression, aggressive behaviour stemming from self image problems

Physical problems, such as lack of energy, restricted movement, pain or illness.

Organisational sources

The origin of poor performance in the employee can sometimes be attributed to the organisation. These could include:

Problems with higher decisions and policies, such as a person placed in the wrong position, insufficient organisational action over a grievance, organisational over-permissiveness (that is, everyone else does it so why shouldn‟t I?)

Impact of supervisors, such as leadership style, bad communication or instruction, inappropriate managerial standards or criteria, discrimination and a lack of managing diversity

Problems with peers, such as harassment, bullying, problems with team cohesion and acceptance, discrimination and hazing (peers not telling the employee everything they need to know to do their job)

Problems from the work context, such as geographic location, bad physical work environment, unsafe conditions and work processes, problems with the way the job is performed.


24


External sources

These are problems an employee can have that stem from society and its values. These include situations where society‟s values clash with the job (for example, working in the gaming industry in a community that dislikes gambling, even selling tobacco):

Clashes with moral or religious issues: working on certain days, assisting guests with certain unsavoury requests

Changing economic conditions: economic uncertainty of rising interest rates or impending legislation that appears to create job insecurity.

Considerations

Before starting to prepare training programs the trainer needs to consider:

What are the symptoms and what are the likely causes?

If the causes are internal to the organisation, and are not addressed, the organisation may become responsible for further future problems which develop

Identify whether you are dealing with a work performance problem, such as not achieving targets or objectives, or a work behaviour problem, such as their work might be fine, but their behaviour in the workplace is inappropriate.

Identifying training gap

In essence, a training gap is where training is required to bring a person‟s current competence level to the desired standard.

Whilst the actual activities in the previous sections have helped to identify training gaps, there are other ways to identify specific training gaps for each staff member, resulting from one or more of the following:

New employees joining the business – requiring basic induction and orientation training to show them the ropes and teach them the basics before they begin dealing with the public

A request from a staff member – stating that they are uncertain about what to do, have been having difficulties with certain procedures or are facing a new task for the first time and want some help about what to do

Personal observation of staff practice – you may have seen staff attempting a task and realised they need help. This was explained in the previous section

Customer complaint – you may have received a complaint from a customer that a staff member was incompetent in some way (either in their attitude, their practical skills or a lack of knowledge) and that complaint can be the basis of training (coupled with your own observations and knowledge of the staff member concerned)




Workplace errors – this may be identified by checking the finished product a worker produces, checking the documentation they complete to identify errors or omission in calculations or billing. noting when the wrong service or product is delivered in response to customer requests

Changes in workplace equipment – when upgraded equipment is introduced into the workplace there is usually a need for training

Changes in procedures – where the business introduces a new procedure or wants to vary an existing procedure, there is again a potential need for training

Changes in legal requirements – whenever a law changes that impacts on workplace performance there is commonly also a need for training to inform staff about the changed legal obligations that apply to them. This training may simply be updating their knowledge about a certain area, or it can be a need to obtain or renew a mandatory certificate, licence, etc. to comply with legislated requirements

Training Needs Analysis Form – this is a form that can be given to staff members for them to identify what training may be beneficial to them. Please see the following pages for an example of this form.


26


Training Needs Analysis Form

The organisation now has a new training department and we want your input. We want to listen to what you have to say so we can develop a staff training program based on your needs. With our training we are looking to making our organisation an extremely professional, efficient and enjoyable place to work. This will reflect on our customers through satisfaction, happiness and positive feedback. Continual training, updating your industry knowledge and practicing new skills, or refining old ones, will ensure that we will achieve our goal. We would appreciate if you could answer the following questions honestly.

Please return this survey to your manager by the end of the week.

Name (optional): ___________________________ Date: _____/_____/_____

Position: _____________________________ Department: __________________

How long have you worked for the organisation? _______________________________

Please indicate your level of

agreement with each of the following

statements.

Strongly

Agree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

1. The company values you

2. I am proud to work for this organisation

3. There are clear goals for career progression at this company

4. My job requirements are clean

5. I am interested in my job

6. I am motivated to see the company succeed

7. Overall how satisfied are you with your current position at this company

Answer yes or no to the following questions: Yes No

8. Have you attended a staff induction?

9. Did you receive and read a staff handbook?

10 Would you like to see a staff rewards program?

Yes How would you like to be rewarded? ____________________________________

No Why not? ________________________________________________________




11. Would you like to progress within the company?

12. Would you like to cross train by working in another department?

13. Are you interested in completing a training qualification where you receive a nationally recognised certificate at no cost to you?

14. Would training help you do your job better?

Please give us your opinion:

15. What training will help you with your current job?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

16. What do you like best about your job?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

17. What do you like least about your job?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

18. What can we do to make your job better?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Once we have collected this survey we will be talking to staff to get further information. In the near future we will be letting you know more about what is on offer. We look forward to training and

working with you.


28


Clarifying training gap

As mentioned, the purpose of training is to bring a competency up to the desired standard. In essence each competency has what is known as four dimensions.

These are broken up into:

Task Skills – What is the acceptable level at which an individual carries out a task; for example, can they operate a fax machine?

Task Management Skills - Being able to do a number of tasks simultaneously such as serving people in a shop and answering the phone

Contingency Management Skills – An ability to respond and react when things go wrong, for example when there is a computer malfunction on a busy day

Job or Role and Environment skills – Understanding and fulfilling the responsibilities of the workplace.

Based on all the information collected, analysed and compared in the sections to date, a range of training gaps may be identified.

1.4 Confirm the identified training gap with

relevant personnel

Introduction

Once the training gaps have been identified it is important that they are approved with the relevant personnel. Development of training programs take time and it is important that the necessary approval is given, or suggestions for improvement made, before too much time is spent developing a program that is not relevant, inappropriate or simply not required.

Relevant personnel

The role of training normally falls under a specific training department or within the domain of Human Resources. This department is designed to support operational departments (Food & Beverage, Front Office and Housekeeping etc) achieve their goals in providing quality customer service, operational efficiency and financial success.

Human Resources

The Human Resources department themselves will have a limited amount of resources in which to conduct training for the entire organisation and therefore training programs must be prioritised in terms of:

Training budget

Priority of training programs

Training staff

Availability of training rooms and resources.




Operational Managers

Whilst training may be the responsibility of the training department to organise, prepare or conduct, the objectives of the programs and training delivered must reflect the expectations of the operational departments.

Therefore it is vital that once the training gaps have been identified, that they are confirmed with managers of specific departments to ensure they agree with the findings and are happy for the training department to proceed with developing training programs based on these.

1.5 Determine support available for training

provision

Introduction

When planning a training program for a hotel, it is important to remember that there will be a complex mix of training to be conducted comprising different:

Competencies

Dimensions of competencies

Training styles

Equipment and resources

Locations.

One training person cannot and is not expected to undertake all training by themself. At some stage support will be needed, across resources within and external to the organisation.

It is important for a trainer to determine early in the planning process at what levels and to what degree they need the support and assistance of others.

Check own level of competency

If a trainer is considering delivering instruction and demonstrations to staff, they have to be able to do it competently.

They have to be absolutely sure that training to be done reflects workplace needs and practice. Their techniques and knowledge have to be absolutely spot on.

Their inability to deliver training comprehensively and correctly at all times, will negatively impact on the effectiveness of the training and destroy their workplace reputation amongst staff.

Most training professionals may have the necessary training skills to deliver a program, but may be weak in the operational and technical content within the training programs themselves.


30


Therefore, if they believe their competencies are not what they should be, they really only have two options:

Arrange for some training for themselves so that you can get up-to-speed with what is required

Get someone else to provide the training for staff.

Seeking support

In reality there will be a distinct possibility that any trainer will need assistance to deliver some workplace training.

When this occurs, it is important they understand this does not negatively reflect on their competence or ability. As stated, no-one can ever know everything and no-one is capable of training all staff in everything they need to know.

When they identify a situation where assistance is required – they need to get it!

If a trainer identifies a situation where they need help and fail to obtain it, then that indicates their incompetence!

Assistance can come in many forms, so trainers must be alert to what best suits each set of circumstances as they arise.

Location of support

Support may come from other people:

Inside the organisation including Human Resources and training personnel, managers, supervisors or senior staff

Outside the organisation including professional trainers, equipment suppliers or specialist personnel such as medical practitioners.

Types of support

A trainer may wish to seek support in a variety of ways including:

Contacting an expert to obtain their verbal input to the upcoming training. They might ask them to identify what needs to be delivered, get them to clarify recent legal changes that apply to their area, ask them to provide you with workplace illustrations of various aspects of the training. This expert can be a worker from within the organisation, an outside consultant, a government official or someone from head office, an industry body or a support industry

Arranging for someone else to deliver the training – this can be another in-house staff member (the „subject expert‟, a previous learner who has proved themselves to be extremely competent, or a supervisor), or it can be a professional trainer from an external training provider. It may also be someone from a supplier organisation. For example, if you have had new equipment installed in the store, the best person to provide the training might be a trainer from the business who supplied the equipment




Arranging for guest speakers – to come in and supplement the basic training you deliver

Arranging external events – such as taking learners on a field trip to another business, a supplier, or an industry conference or seminar

Obtaining training materials that someone else has prepared.

1.6 Present recommendations for training

Introduction

Now that the trainer has a fair idea as to what future training needs are they need to be confirmed and then approved by all involved parties.

Two important things to remember about any training are:

Preparation is the key

Effective training takes time.

Importance of preparation

No effective training can ever occur without adequate preparation. The Five Ps rule of

training is: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance‟.

In the majority of cases, the success or failure of any training session is determined well before the training actually begins.

Effective training can never be achieved without an appropriate amount of time being made available for it. Professional trainers in institutes are allocated up to three hours of time for every one hour of training delivery, because the out-of-training tasks demand more than twice the time taken in conducting the training sessions.

Preparation includes:

Identifying individual and group training objectives

Deciding generic and technical skills, knowledge and attitudes for inclusion in training

Developing a training program learning plan - determining exactly what needs to be covered in the training program and in what sequence the training content will be covered

Creating training session plans that sets out how the individual training sessions will unfold. This identifies how you will introduce the session, make explanations, illustrate points, the time that each portion of the session will take, scripted questions you will ask, demonstrations and other activities you will engage in, how you will finish the session, and how you will determine whether or not learners have achieved the stated outcomes or objectives for the training

Preparing training resources and materials

Preparing training venue

Delivering program.


32


The importance of proper preparation in the successful conduct of any training cannot be

overemphasised. ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’.

Proper planning before the training session commences means that you can focus 100% on training the learners – during the session your mind is not distracted by worrying whether or not everything will go as you want it to go, because you know it will – because you have planned it that way.

Training takes time

Not only does the physical training session take time, but there is a substantial time commitment required prior to the training taking place. This is, of course, the planning and preparation that have already been mentioned.

The lesson here is that if you are expected to do your normal workplace duties plus do training on top of those, there must be a realistic allocation of time for the training duties. You can never succeed in long-term effective workplace training if there is no realistic time release to do the necessary preparation and actual training.

Training objectives

The objectives for the training can be seen as what you achieve as a result of the training.

Care needs to be taken to ensure that the issue will be addressed by training.

Training delivery commonly has to have a focus on individual training objectives and group training objectives.

Individual objectives

The focus here is on providing training as required by individual staff members. This takes into account that potentially every worker has individual workplace learning needs.

For example, you may have a very technically competent employee who is brilliant at operational matters, but lacking in customer relations skills; or you may have a worker who needs attention in terms of one aspect of one task in order to bring their competency level up to what is required by the business.

When addressing individual objectives, the reality is that every training session of this type is unique in nature. Not only must the training address the identified individual need, but as we have seen, it must also factor in the individual learning style preferences of the learner.

Group objectives

These are training objectives established by the business as being necessary for all staff in a certain work role to attain competency in.

Commonly, training is required to deliver this training early in the career of the worker. These objectives, while generic in nature, may have to be delivered on an individual basis or they may be able to be delivered in a group setting.




For example, a new intake of multiple staff may receive generic training as a group, whereas when a single staff member joins the organisation the generic training will be provided one-on-one.

Examples of group objectives can include:

Functioning as part of a workplace team performing the workplace duties as required in a particular department of the business

Liaising and cooperating with other departments or individuals within the organisation so that proper integration of activities occurs

Recognising what the goals of the business are for individual departments and understanding the strategies that are in place to enable attainment of those goals.

Gathering and checking the training objectives

Every workplace is subject to change – procedures change, equipment changes over time and legal requirements change.

When gathering together the objectives for your training it is vital you check the objectives to ensure they are:

Current – to guard against providing training on something that is now out-of-date

Reflective of workplace practice – your training is intended to make staff competent in your workplace so it needs to focus on what actually happens in the workplace

Complete – ensuring that no important steps, processes, pieces of information, checks, etc. are missing

Correctly sequenced – so as to follow the sequence of activities in the workplace

Legal – that is, they are compliant with any legislated obligations that apply. This includes the need to ensure they comply with relevant OHS requirements

Pitched at the correct level – meaning there is a need to ensure that staff are trained only to the degree required by the workplace standards and levels of quality, service, etc. that apply. Note that in some businesses these standards may vary between departments or sites and may even fluctuate depending on seasonal influences.

The intention of these checks is to ensure that you, as the trainer, are quite clear about what the learners are expected to achieve so that you can adequately plan the training delivery to achieve those end results.

How do you check the training objectives?

Whilst you will have a good understanding of what the required competency standards would be through the activities described in section 1.2, the training objectives may differ to these. For example a training objective may focus on one or two specific dimensions of a job, not an entire competency itself.

There may be a nominated process for this in your workplace, but the following is a recommended procedure where no formal checking procedure is in place:

Observe the work that is being done – take notes to record what is being done, how it is being done, what equipment is being used, what workplace pressures apply, and what workplace limitations apply


34


Speak to the people doing the work – get their input on what the task requires, what the common problems are and what issues impact the workplace performance of these tasks

Use your own experience – often the trainer is regarded as having appropriate workplace experience

Have the knowledge to perform the tasks that staff are being trained in, so don‟t be afraid to refer to your personal knowledge and expertise to provide a foundation

Check with relevant authorities – where appropriate, contact the relevant government office and speak to personnel there about what is currently required in terms of compliance issues

Speak to supervisors – get their input about the job and find out what their expectations are about what workers must be able to do

Speak to management – find out what they believe should be included in the training. Often they will have valuable input to make regarding future directions of the business and how those new directions might impact on training content.

When you have finished gathering information about the training objectives, you should:

Prepare written training objectives – if they have not already been prepared

Present your newly written (or revised) training objectives to staff and management – to get feedback about whether or not those objectives will achieve what everyone wants.

Decide generic and technical skills, knowledge and attitudes for

inclusion in training

Generic skills

Generic skills are skills that most staff are required to have in accordance with their nominated workplace roles and responsibilities.

Generic skills can be used anywhere throughout the organisation and are seen as the basis for operations and the foundation for training in technical skills.

Examples of generic skills are:

Showing knowledge of company policies and procedures through workplace behaviour

Completing internal documentation

Answering the phone

Responding to an emergency.




Technical skills

Technical skills are the hands-on operational skills required by workers to perform their allocated workplace duties. These skills are not necessarily technical in nature – that is, they often do not involve the use of „technology‟ as such.

These technical skills relate to the individual workplace functions such as:

Cleaning a room

Making a coffee

Preparing a dessert

Checking in a guest.

Generic and technical skills may be delivered one-on-one or in a group setting. Factors that will all combine to determine whether the training is group-based or individual include the size of the business, the numbers of staff involved, their availability, the urgency of the need for training and the existing levels of knowledge possessed by individuals .

Dimensions of competency

Although mentioned in Section 1.3 it is important to remember each competency has four dimensions which must be considered in deciding what is to be included in a training session.

These are broken up into:

Task Skills

Task Management Skills

Contingency Management Skills

Job/Role/Environment skills.

The next section will look at the development of specific training and learning plans.

Presenting recommendations

Now that the training objectives and competencies for development have been determined, like in Section 1.4 this information must be presented to the relevant people for any suggestions or approval to continue.


36


Work Projects

It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.

1.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to identify current competencies of learners

1.2 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to identify required competencies of learners including:



Where performance standards come from

Job behaviour standards.

1.3 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to describe the training gap for learners including:

How to identify the standard

Comparing actual competency against desired competency standard

Identify and understand differences between actual competency and the desired competency standard



Clarifying training gap.

1.4 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to confirm the identified training gap with relevant personnel

1.5 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to determine support available for training provision including:


Seeking support

Location of support

Types of support.

1.6 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how present recommendations for training




Summary

Determine training requirements

Identify current competencies of learners:

Competency

Identifying current competencies of learners.

Identify required competencies for learners:

Benefits of identifying desired competency standards



Where do performance standards come from?

Job behaviour standards

Examples of standards of performance.

Describe the training gap for learners:

Training Gap

Identify the standard

Comparing actual competency against desired competency standard

Identify and understand differences between actual competency and the desired competency standard


Considerations


Clarifying training gap.

Confirm the identified training gap with relevant personnel:

Relevant personnel.

Determine support available for training provision:


Seeking support

Location of support

Types of support.

Present recommendations for training:

Importance of preparation

Training objectives

Decide generic and technical skills, knowledge and attitudes for inclusion in training

Presenting recommendations.


38





Element 2:

Prepare training plan

2.1 Develop session outlines for approved

training

Introduction

Now that you, as the trainer, may have received the approval to develop and prepare the training program, there are many considerations that need to be addressed to ensure that the training programs are suitable to the audience.

As mentioned, success of the training program is greatly influenced by the effectiveness of the preparation. As a trainer you must ensure all necessary factors are taken into account.

What is to be achieved through training?

Training is about developing a knowledge, skill or attitude.

These have been discussed previously. The dimensions of these include:

Task Skills

Task Management Skills

Contingency Management Skills

Job or Role and Environment skills.

Stating outcomes

In the previous section we explored the concept of setting training objectives. When preparing programs it is important that each learning program and each individual session has an outcome in which you would like participants to achieve.

At this point you also need to carefully consider the outcomes you require from your training. It is important that these are clearly stated upfront and can be observed and measured when the time comes so that you are confident that the skill, knowledge and attitude gap has been adequately addressed.

This process can be remembered through the points of:


40


Imagine that you were training someone in how to make a cup of tea. Your outcome statement or range statement might sound something like this:

Sequencing and immediacy

As a trainer, you need to be aware of the sequencing requirements for training delivery.

There needs to be a logical sequencing of activities and topics within a learning plan and individual training sessions.

For example, you need to ensure learners understand all the OHS issues before starting to work with potentially dangerous equipment and procedures. This is one example of the need for proper sequencing of training.

Knowledge that is required before moving to another topic is called prerequisite knowledge. Where there is a need for prerequisite knowledge, it is compulsory, not optional.

Another example is the workplace need for sequential knowledge. For instance, in order for a customer service operator to become proficient in their job, they will have to have product knowledge, selling skills and the ability to use the cash register. All these skills cannot be obtained at the one time, so there is a need to sequence them by placing them in priority order according to workplace need, or to accommodate management direction.

In many cases, skills can be seen as „ancillary‟ skills (sometimes referred to as underpinning skills and knowledge). For example, it may be necessary for certain staff to have competencies in the areas of cleaning, legislated responsibilities, stock control and security to supplement their normal day-to-day duties.

While all of these things are important, it may be up to you to determine their priority in terms of when they are delivered within the overall training context for the business. Different businesses will have different priorities. This could be based on their location, number of staff, previous experiences and customer profiles.

Immediacy is a constant given in most workplace training. The need for training is rarely something that can be deferred to a later date: it needs to be done now, in most cases.

“At the end of this training session you should be

able to make a cup of tea to enterprise standards

for a range of people within an acceptable time

frame for your organisation”




This said there will always be some training requirements that are more urgent than others. The need to meet externally imposed compliance training requirements such as health issues, food safety, OHS, restrictions on sales, obtaining proof of age from purchasers, fair trading provisions, etc are always top of the list, but other immediate training needs include:

Training someone immediately to replace a staff member who has left, failed to arrive for work, or gone home sick

Training someone to replace someone who has been promoted or fired

Training extra staff to meet identified instances of above average trade – which may be related to sales or promotions, or may be related to holiday periods and seasonal influences

Training staff to operate new equipment – which may have been installed overnight and needs to be operational as soon as possible to support the operation of the business

Training staff in order to respond to operational issues that arise – this might include immediate short-term training to allow staff to cope with equipment malfunction or breakdown, or training staff to respond to some emergency that has impacted the store such as fire, or the theft of operational equipment.

Limits of training

Training is useful in most workplace situations, but it is important that you understand that training can never fix all workplace problems, and you have to be prepared to notify management when you believe you are being asked to address a situation that training alone cannot successfully fix.

For example, you may be asked by management to deliver training to staff in order to increase profit in the business. Management may see this as a legitimate request (despite its being extremely vague in nature), but it is possible that no amount of brilliant training can ever achieve because:

The staff who are working in the store may have the wrong attitude – and it is nearly impossible to change a person‟s attitude

Products offered are not of appropriate quality and customers won‟t buy them

Venues are closed at times when customers say they want to buy

Departments are so busy that customers have to wait too long to be served

The layout of the outlets are such that items have to move about all over the place for anything to get done

The equipment being used is old and not operating efficiently.


42


The point is that training is not always the answer to a workplace problem.

Sometimes you may have to advise management that other actions are needed including changing suppliers, opening longer hours, getting rid of certain staff members, hiring extra staff, changing the layout of the premises or buying extra or different equipment.

Understanding the learner

One of the key considerations is understanding the learners that will be part of the training experience. This is the most important consideration. If they are unable to learn what is required in a training program, the whole process will be unsuccessful and a waste of time.

Learner needs are all likely to be different

Because staff come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, their individual abilities and hence their learning needs, must also be expected to be different.

This means that as a person providing workplace training you must:

Get to know all your staff – where they have worked before, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what training they have had, what qualifications they hold, how current their training is, and so on

Gather information about individual learner characteristics – so you can better develop and tailor your training delivery to suit the individual needs of the learner: see immediately below.

A lot of this information would have been collected in Section 1.1 when current competencies of learners would have been identified.

Not is the time to refer back to any notes so that you have a clear idea as to the learners who will be in a training program.

Learner characteristics

Presenting the training in such a way that optimises the chance that the learner will succeed means there is a need to know something about the people to whom you are delivering training.

Not all learners have the same backgrounds and different people prefer to learn in different ways. The key is to get to know each individual and cater for personal orientations and individual differences so that you can capitalise on things rather than try to approach all training situations and all trainees as being identical.




Individual differences in training

Every group is made up of individuals, and trainers need to be aware that there is a need to cater for these individual differences. This applies if you are delivering training to a group of staff, or if you are delivering one-on-one training to individuals over a period of time.

Trainers often wrongly assume:

Every learner at any one time is at the same stage of understanding or skill as everyone else If one staff member is ready to learn the next step, many trainers believe all learners are ready for the next step. This is not necessarily true

One single method of training will be equally effective for all Individuals have preferred learning styles. For example, some will learn better by watching, some by doing, and some by teaming up with someone else, some by reading all about the task before trying it in practice. Some will learn better if trained by another staff member and not by the „trainer‟. Some people hate having to perform/demonstrate in front of others and others love doing the same thing

Every trainee will understand with equal ease Because people are all at different levels due to their previous training, experience and background, it is a reality that some staff will find learning more difficult, and some will find certain training topics relatively easy

The same amount of time needs to be spent with each learner to achieve the same result While we don‟t want staff to think we are playing favourites with them, it is usual for some staff to pick things up quicker than others, so it is important to spend only the time that is necessary with each learner to achieve your training goal

New learning can be mastered by each trainee with the same amount of practice.

Experience shows no two learners are the same in their readiness for learning, their initial understanding of the work to be learned, their rate of progress through the training and their individual response to different training methods.

In most groups, you are likely to find some learners who are easily motivated, learn readily and progress rapidly, while others will require a great deal of help, but still progress at a reasonable pace. Yet again, some others will progress slowly, find learning difficult and apparently develop little interest.

„Difficult‟ learners may be casual staff who simply see their work as a „second job‟, treating it merely as a means to obtaining some extra money. They may see training as a waste of time and something that unnecessarily interferes with other things they have to do – family, sport, relationships, etc.

All of this underlines why it is important to get to know your learners before you start training them.


44


Things about the learner‟s profile that you should try to determine before the training commences include:

Physical differences:

Are there hearing, sight or speech problems?

What is their level of dexterity and manipulative skills?

Are they too short or too tall for the training arrangements?

Literacy and numeracy. Not all adults can read or read ‟well‟ and nor can all adults handle figures with ease. In lots of work situations, there is no requirement for the staff to be able to read in order to get their job in the first place. But some may have literacy difficulties and their lack of reading skills may mean we can‟t rely on the printed word as a training source. You need to answer these questions about your trainees:

Can they read your forms?

Can they read internal paperwork?

Can they price a bill?

Can they work out the price for a list of items you have on sale?

Can they calculate a simple discount?

What is their socio-economic status?

What are their aspirations?

What support or lack of support do they get from their family?

What other commitments (sport, family, or study) do they have outside work?

Does their background indicate that they value training and see it as worthwhile?

Previous learning:

What is their level of education and qualifications?

What experiences have they had with in-house training?

Will they be used to undertaking training or is this going to be a new experience for them?

Present status:

How long have they been employed with us?

Is there a long history of non-promotion?

All these questions are not judgemental in nature, but simply provide background information you can use in order to gain fuller understanding about the focus of the training, the trainee and their motivation:

Is the training regarded as solely related to work or can it be seen also as part of a bigger, personal development project, outside of work? The more you can relate a workplace training topic to a staff member‟s wider life (including their life outside of work), the better

Is the training necessary for promotion?




Is the training required in order to keep the job?

Will the training be regarded as impinging on leisure time?

Is previous training highlighted by success or failure?

The above all indicate that trainers cannot afford simply to see learners as some group of people who are all the same, called „trainees‟. They are all individuals, with individual personal baggage, individual histories and individual needs.

In addition, not everyone will learn in the same way. Some will learn quicker, better or more effectively if they read it from a book; some if they watch it on a video; some if they practise the job alone; some if they do it in a group; some if they watch a demonstration; some when they are trained by their peers and not by a ‟trainer‟.

This means you have to be alert to the „little things‟ about the individual and cater for them wherever possible: not everyone will learn at the same pace, so be patient and don‟t mentally categorise slow learners as not as competent as others.

It should always be remembered the failure of the learner to learn is as much a comment on the trainer as it is on the learner. Perhaps more so!

Adult learners and learning

Part of being an effective instructor involves understanding how adults learn best. Compared to children and teens, adults have special needs and requirements as learners. Despite the apparent truth, adult learning is a relatively new area of study. The field of adult learning was pioneered by Malcolm Knowles.

He identified the following characteristics of adult learners:

Adults are autonomous and self-directed. They need to be free to direct themselves. Their teachers must actively involve adult participants in the learning process and serve as facilitators for them. Specifically, they must get participants' perspectives about what topics to cover and let them work on projects that reflect their interests. They should allow the participants to assume responsibility for presentations and group leadership. They have to be sure to act as facilitators, guiding participants to their own knowledge rather than supplying them with facts. Finally, they must show participants how the class will help them reach their goals (e.g., via a personal goals sheet)

Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that may include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base. To help them do so, they should draw out participants' experience and knowledge which is relevant to the topic. They must relate theories and concepts to the participants and recognize the value of experience in learning

Adults are goal-oriented. Upon enrolling in a course, they usually know what goal they want to attain. They, therefore, appreciate an educational program that is organized and has clearly defined elements. Instructors must show participants how this class will help them attain their goals. This classification of goals and course objectives must be done early in the course


46


Adults are relevancy-oriented. They must see a reason for learning something. Learning has to be applicable to their work or other responsibilities to be of value to them. Therefore, instructors must identify objectives for adult participants before the course begins. This means, also, that theories and concepts must be related to a setting familiar to participants. This need can be fulfilled by letting participants choose projects that reflect their own interests

Adults are practical, focusing on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in their work. They may not be interested in knowledge for its own sake. Instructors must tell participants explicitly how the lesson will be useful to them on the job

As do all learners, adults need to be shown respect. Instructors must acknowledge the wealth of experiences that adult participants bring to the classroom. These adults should be treated as equals in experience and knowledge and allowed to voice their opinions freely in class.

How to motivate adult learners will be discussed in a later section.

The ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ in training

As a person, the trainer will perceive trainees in the light of their own and society‟s values, standards and beliefs. As a result, trainers develop certain expectations about their trainees.

The „self-fulfilling prophecy‟ states that a trainer‟s expectations about a learner will unconsciously, yet greatly, influence their approach towards that person, and their actions towards that person, including their speech, the words used, their body positioning or stance and non-verbal communication.

These unconscious actions and messages will greatly affect learner performance.

This occurs because a trainer‟s expectations about how a learner will perform (essentially, whether they will succeed or fail) are highly explicit – especially in terms of body language, praise, encouragement, time spent together, and access granted to resources.

Trainers develop the impressions they hold about learners or staff on the basis of their personal experience, as well as on the basis of the information they have about individual learners.

Once these impressions are formed, trainers may be incapable or unwilling to change them and this has possible effects for certain learners. This impact can be either positive or negative.

Factors likely to affect trainer expectations are not always logical, important or relevant to anything. They include, but are in no way limited to:

Learner gender

Learner race

Learner socio-economic status

Learner previous achievements

Learner personality

Learner dress

Learner tattoos

Learner beards




Learner dress/skirt length

Learner hair colour and style

Earrings in male learners

Learner males with ponytails.

A problem arises when the trainer categorises a learner on the basis of the above factors and then, unknowingly, is influenced by that decision.

The trainer can limit learner performance by controlling the degree of their participation, their opportunities for learning, attention given to them, challenges offered, access to information and resources, and the amount of praise of learning behaviours.

Thus, a trainer can increase learner performance by providing conditions to certain staff that encourage them and hence optimise their progress.

If a trainer believes a certain learner is bright then they may be given special attention, exposed to more challenging situations, praised more frequently, have their progress used as an example to others, and receive extremely positive feedback.

On the other hand, a learner categorised as not quite as competent as others may not be set certain (challenging) tasks and may have limited opportunities given to them for practice and participation. In other words, they may not be given sufficient extra help when it is needed, be ignored when certain explanations are given, be ignored when questions are asked, not receive access to certain resources, and generally be given the impression they can expect to have difficulties achieving the level of competency required.

The training, then, has been consciously or unconsciously conducted in ways designed to confirm trainer expectations and generally those classified as ‟bright‟ will do well (in tests, practical performance of tasks, etc.), and those seen as ‟dumb‟ will do poorly. This, then, reinforces the original prejudice that the trainer had, and so the cycle begins again reinforced by this most recent proof‟.

The trainer, it must be remembered, is in a position to set standards, to influence learner performance and to evaluate results: you must be very aware of this ‟power‟ and strive not to abuse it.

Consider the following as a brief example of the self-fulfilling prophecy …

Often trainers will ask questions to learners identified as ‟bright‟ so as to keep the training session moving (because they expect them to know the answer), and also to feel good about themselves as trainers (it tells them they have been effective). They may have also chosen not to ask a certain learner a question for good motives (such as not wanting to embarrass someone they know dislikes speaking in front of others).

Nonetheless, this is picked up by those not asked, and it reinforces in them they are ‟dull‟ and so serves to adversely affect their attitude and hence their performance, and raise barriers to future training, too.

Trainers must be aware of the self-fulfilling prophecy in training and strive to ensure they do not let it negatively affect their approach to learners, or the way they interact with them.


48


Learning and session plans

A key to the success of training is the development of sufficient and clear documentation which can be used by any persons required to conduct training as the framework for delivery.

There are a number of plans that can be developed to outline and guide training programs.

These include:

Learning plan – give an overview of the learning for a group or individual and involves on the job learning as the main approach but may also involve other types of learning e.g. off the job self paced or one to one coaching

Learning plan evaluation form – this is a form used to help determine in the learning plan is appropriate for the audience. It is reviewed by an appropriate peer and helps to reinforce the relevance, effectiveness and accuracy of the learning plan. This is a helpful tool to use before commencing on developing individual session plans. Examples of a learning plan and a learning plan evaluation form have been identified on the following pages

Session plan – goes into the actual make up of a training session and acts as a guide to the trainer on timings, activities to cover and theory to teach. An example of a session plan will be identified in Section 2.4.

Information to include in learning and session plans

Whether the learning or session plans are prepared by the trainer who will deliver the session, or whether they are generic plans prepared by some who won‟t be delivering the training, it should contain the following elements:

Individual or group learning objectives for the session, including identification of learning outcomes for smaller segments of the training

Identification of the maximum number of learners who should participate in each session – together with identification of specific support requirements for the session such as subject experts, prerequisite subject knowledge and technical competencies

Content to be covered in each individual training session – together with identification of the required sequencing for each segment so that there is a logical flow to the training that is delivered. This sequencing should also reflect the workplace priority order for training content

Timelines for each training session – this indicates how many hours or minutes every training session has been allocated. You are under an obligation to ensure that all training takes place within these designated timelines as there are usually labour cost and rostering implications where training exceeds these guidelines




Learning resources, materials and activities that can be, or must be, available to support training delivery in individual training sessions. These may be items developed by other training staff over time, or they can be purchased professionally produced training materials from another training organisation. Any trainer who has training resources provided for them is extremely lucky, providing the materials are truly reflective of workplace practice and they truly match the requirements of the learning program, then these can save a trainer lots of valuable time

Identification of other resource requirements – the delivery plan should identify by name and number any other resources that are deemed necessary to support the delivery of individual training topics. For example, you may be training staff in how to handle a refund for a customer and need training resources such as a cash register, refund form, etc. but you may find that the delivery plan also lists that a copy of the organisational policies on Refunds and Replacements are also listed as a supporting resource requirement that should be included as part of the session so that they can be referred to throughout the session

OHS considerations – this can cover OHS concerns about the training delivery itself as well as listing the OHS points that need to be addressed in terms of the specific training content being delivered. Considerations in this regard may relate to incident and hazard reporting during the training, and implementation of emergency procedures where required during training sessions.


50


Learning Plan

RTO William Angliss Institute

Client ABC Hotels

Program name The Art of Espresso Coffee

Number of learners 8

Purpose/focus To train food and beverage staff in the art of extracting and serving espresso coffee.

Qualification SIT30707 Certificate III in Hospitality

Competency standards SITHFAB012A Prepare and serve espresso coffee

See attached unit of competency

Profile of learner group See attached learner profile

Program duration (total) 8 hours – 1 day

Assessment Practical observation in the classroom and in the workplace

Oral questions

Written assessment

Prerequisites Nil

Resources William Angliss Institute resource

William Angliss Institute DVD Art of Espresso Coffee

Book: Barista A Guide to Espresso Coffee Jill Adams

Espresso Coffee machines and Grinders x 4

Cups, saucers, glasses, spoons, jugs, milk, sugar, coffee, napkins, chocolate dusting powder

Venue information Access and break times

Catering

Laptop, data pro, screen, whiteboard

Pre-program information or

pre-work

Nil

Administration Trainer/Assessor to mark the written work and sign off the unit

Given to WAI admin for processing of Statement of Results




People to be informed Food and Beverage Manager

ABC Hotels Training Manager

Safety

issues

Incident or hazard

reporting

All staff have attended induction which covers incident and hazard reporting.

Incident report forms and a hazard management process are available if needed.

Inspection checklist completed by trainer prior to session.

Emergency

procedures

All staff have attended induction which covers emergency procedures.

These would be reviewed at the beginning of the session and a copy in the room.

OHS info for

participants

Correct clothing and footwear to be worn by participants or they will not be allowed to participate in the training.

Housekeeping info given at beginning of session: mobile phones, toilets, using machinery safely.

Specific support

requirements of learners

Support by direct supervisor of each participant is required to ensure they have enough time to practice in the workplace

Other organisational

requirements

Nil


52


Learning Plan Outline

Session Number

& Title

Time Learning outcomes:

Learners will be able to…

Training Content (topics) Delivery Application/

Assessment

Resources

1 Introduction 15 minutes

8.30 am –

8.45 am

Introduction Welcome

Mobile phones

Toilets

Class participation

LLN

Program timeframes for the day

Program learning outcomes and how they will be assessed

Coffee is classified as a food so hygiene and OHS standards must be maintained

Work area familiarisation and

OHS inspection.

Verbal classroom

LLN assessment

Learner resource and handouts

ABC Hotels SOP‟s

Coffee DVD

Whiteboard

2 Preparation

and

organisation

30 minutes

8.45 am –

9.15 am

Organise and prepare work areas

Organise coffee workstation – hazards, visual appeal

ABC Hotels work routines SOP‟s

Mise-en-place – items e.g. Crockery, glassware, cutlery, serviettes, milk jugs, tea pots and condiments e.g. Milk, sugar, coffee, chocolate, marshmallows, syrups, tea and cleaning materials e.g. Tea towels, sanitiser, cleaning cloths and sponges

Verbal classroom

Practical demonstration

Workplace observation

Oral Questions

Written assessment

Espresso machine

Grinder

Crockery and glassware

Condiments

Other items

Whiteboard





Session Number

& Title




Assessment

Resources

Preparation of espresso machine and grinder to ensure correct pressure, pump and grind – turn on both, run water through group head and handles, release steam, grind coffee to check, and check extraction rate

Storage and freshness of coffee and commodities.

3 Customer

service and

product

knowledge

30 minutes 9.15 am

– 9.45 am

Provide customer service and advise customers on espresso coffee

Giving advice to customers

History of coffee

Botanical notes – coffee species – coffee growing countries – terminology

Customer preferences and product knowledge – espresso or short black, ristretto, doppio, long black, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, piccolo, flat white, mocha, Vienna, Coretto, Affogato and decaf

Roasting.

Verbal classroom


Learner practice

Oral questions

3rd party report

Written assessment

ABC Hotels espresso menu and SOP‟s

Whiteboard


54



Session Number

& Title




Assessment

Resources

4 Coffee

grinding

30 minutes 10.00 am

– 10.30 am

Select and grind coffee Grinding – selection and check correct grind

What affects the grind – environmental and equipment considerations

Adjusting the dose

Dosing by sight.

Verbal classroom


Learner practice


Oral Questions

Written assessment

Grinder and coffee

Learner resource

5 Coffee

extraction

20 minutes 1030am

– 1050am

Extract coffee Selection of cups or glassware – various of sizes ceramic cups, glasses and paper cups

Measure or dispense required dosage

Dosing the coffee

Adjust, tune and moderate temperature and pressure – brewing temp 88 - 92◦C, pump pressure 8 to 9 bars, machine or boiler pressure 1 – 1.5 bars, temp of water in boiler should be just under boiling, water level in the boiler should be 70% full

Pouring rate – espresso rate 30 – 35 mls, volume in no more than 30 seconds

Extraction quality –good body, thick rich caramel coloured crema, good aroma, strong balanced taste

Verbal classroom


Learner practice


Oral Questions

Written assessment

Espresso machine

Grinder


Condiments

Other items

Whiteboard

Learner resource





Session Number

& Title




Assessment

Resources

Check spent grounds – cake must hold together and resemble a chocolate biscuit

Flush group head either just after or before making coffee.

6 Milk

texturing

40 minutes

1050am – 1130am

Texture milk Milk selection – skim, low fat, full cream, UHT, soy or enhanced

Milk jug – stainless steel and different sizes

Steam wand – clean, before using expend steam and cloths exclusively for cleaning

Steam milk – always use fresh, cold milk, right size jug and fill to ½ to 1/3 full, use thermometer, expel steam from wand, keep tip of wand just under milk surface, milk should whirlpool, when tem reaches 65

Turn steam off, pour milk immediately

Pour milk as per espresso menu.

Verbal classroom


Learner practice


Oral Questions

Written assessment

Espresso machine

Other items

Whiteboard

Learner resource

7 Coffee

presentation

and service

15 minutes 1130am

– 1145am

Serve and present espresso coffee

Present and serve coffee – as per ABC Hotels SOP‟s

Ensure crockery and glassware is free of chips and cracks, are clean, no spills in saucer, don‟t overfill and serve immediately.

Verbal classroom


Learner practice


3rd party report

Written assessment


Condiments/Other items

Learner resource

ABC Hotels SOP‟s


56



Session Number

& Title




Assessment

Resources

8 Cleaning

and

maintenance

15 minutes 1145am

– 1200pm

Clean and maintain espresso machine

Follow OHS requirements as per session 1 & 2

Clean machine – have a cleaning schedule for steam wands, drip tray, panels and the grinder

Back flushing using blind filter depending on the amount of coffee you make in a day

Check grinder and espresso machine parts for remedial action to ensure machinery operates at optimum levels

Troubleshooting – problems and solutions.

Verbal classroom



3rd party report

Written assessment

Cleaning materials

Learner resource

ABC Hotels SOP‟s

9 Conclusion 1 hour 1200pm

– 100pm

Revision Revise keys points – learning outcomes.

Give opportunity for questions and feedback.

Verbal classroom


Learner practice and feedback


Oral questions

Coffee equipment Learner resource





Session Number

& Title




Assessment

Resources

10 Final

session

3 hours 130pm

– 430pm

Learner demonstration and assessment

Organise and prepare work areas

Customer service and advise

Select and grind and extract coffee

Texture milk

Serve and present coffee

Clean and maintain espresso machine.

Learner demonstration and feedback

Oral questions

3rd party report

Written assessment


Coffee equipment and condiments


58 © ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Prepare and deliver training sessions

Learning Plan Evaluation Form

Instructions

Obtain feedback from your peers about your plan. Get them to complete the Learning Plan Evaluation Form below.

Learning Plan Evaluation Form

Instructions:

You are asked to evaluate the proposed Learning Plan against which a training program may later be developed and delivered. Please complete the following form, ticking the relevant boxes and entering comments as required. Your recommendations will be considered towards the review of the Learning Plan prior to implementation.

Name of Training Designer: ______________________________________________________

Learning Plan Title: __________________________________ Version no: ___________

Reviewer‟s name: ___________________________________________

Learners Yes No N/A

Are the learners clearly identified?

Are all learners‟ needs included?

If not, what other needs should be included?

Planning Yes No N/A

Are the chosen units of competency appropriate for the learners and their needs?

Does the content and structure address all aspects of the units?

Does the learning sequence provide effective and manageable blocks of learning?

Does the plan cater for diversity of gender, ethnicity and disability?

Are the activities interesting and relevant?

Will the activities motivate the learners?

Can the activities be contextualized to suit learner needs?




Assessment Tasks Yes No N/A

Will the suggested assessment tasks adequately assess the requirements of the units of competency?

Are the assessment tasks:

Too detailed? Just right? Not detailed enough?

The suggested assessment tasks may be contextualised to suit learner needs?

General Yes No N/A

Does the program plan identify risks and contingencies?

Is the timeframe suitable for the content?

Does the costing represent an achievable/viable program?

What are the strengths of the learning plan?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

What are the weaknesses of the learning plan?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any other comments?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Reviewer’s Name: _______________________________ Signature: _________________

Position: _______________________________ Date _____/_____/_____

Thank you


60


2.2 Develop training content

Items for inclusion in training

Once the learning plan has been identified and the evaluation approached, it is now time to develop the training content.

As you can see in the Learning Plan, there is a very detailed plan of the entire training plan that has been identified.

One element of the Learning plan is the identification of what will be covered in each training session.

This is the summary of the training content.

For example in the “Introduction‟ session of the „The Art of Espresso Coffee‟ Learning Plan identified in the example provided the training content for this 15 minute session includes:

Welcome

Mobile phones

Toilets

Class participation

LLN

Program timeframes for the day

Program learning outcomes and how they will be assessed

Coffee is classified as a food so hygiene and OHS standards must be maintained

Work area familiarisation and OHS inspection.

The key now is to determine what needs to be covered in each of these points, to ensure the content can be completed within the assigned time frame.

By deciding the content required within each point, the trainer can then start to prepare training resources and materials to support this delivery.

2.3 Develop training resources and materials

Introduction

Once the training content has been determined, the next step is to prepare or acquire appropriate learning resources to use in training delivery.

What are learning resources and materials?

To be clear, learning resources and learning materials are the same thing: essentially, we are talking here about anything you need to use to provide or support training delivery.




Examples of learning resources include:

Notes, manuals, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, posters, copies of price lists, supplier catalogues, forms used within the business, organisational policy and procedure manuals, reference material and texts, record/log books, tapes and disks

Items required to support training practice – these may be case studies, activities, exercises, written tests, worksheets and workbooks, task sheets and practical exercises that you require learners to perform

Samples of items or finished products – used to illustrate what is required, to demonstrate a point or to show learners what options are available

Equipment used for demonstrations – including all associated items, utensils and ancillary material (for example, if you were training staff on how to use a cash register the audit roll for the register would be ancillary material. If you were training someone on how to use a computer ,then a portable data stick/disk would probably be needed for them to save their material)

Consumables – anything that is used during the training process is a consumable: for example, if you were training staff in how to make a cappuccino, then the coffee, sugar, milk, etc. would be consumables. Even the whiteboard markers, paper for printing and toner for the photocopy machine and printer are regarded as consumables

Multimedia tools.

Effective use of multimedia tools

All trainers can benefit from the use of multimedia tools.

Types of multimedia tools

There are many multimedia tools that can be used effectively to help facilitate learning including:

DVDs – there are endless subject topics

TV shows – including documentaries and specialist subject programs which are great visual and informative tools

Video conference calls – this enables specialists and senior management to be an active part of the training session, regardless of geographical location

Internet – there are various websites including You Tube that can provide information or be used as an effective research tool.

Benefits of using multimedia

There are many benefits of using multimedia including:

Adds a different form of training which can bring variety to the overall program

Helps reinforce points presented by trainer

Can be used as a primary source of information by a respected source or person

Can be used as a secondary source of information, in which case studies can be based around it


62


Provides real life examples and stories in a visually stimulating format

Eases pressure on trainers having to „talk‟ all the time

Serves as a backup training aid to fill times where scheduled training runs ahead of schedule.

Sources of learning resources and materials

While this manual suggests that your role will simply be to use existing learning resources and materials, the reality is often much different, requiring you to:

Use existing resources

Generate them yourself

Purchasing them from professional training organisations

Obtain them from other sources.

Using existing resources and materials

Using existing resources, where available, is the most effective way of preparing resources as a lot of the hard work has already been done.

In most cases, they will need to be altered to meet the exact needs of the training programs in mind.

It is vital that all existing resources are checked before they are used to make sure they reflect the training objectives that they will used to support.

In addition, by reviewing the information, it ensures that all relevant material is included and also serves as a refresher on the information provided within.

The biggest problem with learning resources is that they get out-of-date very quickly.

Remember that your training must reflect actual workplace practice, and by the same token, the learning materials must support that specific training delivery. For example, you may have a whole range of excellent learning resources to use when training new staff in the operation of the cash register, but if the type of cash register used today is different from what was used last year, all those magnificent learning resources will be useless.

You simply can‟t use anything that is out-of-date or which fails to support the identified training objectives.

You also need to check there are no errors in the material. This includes not only procedural mistakes such as printed notes that actually present the wrong way to do something, but also checks for spelling errors and typos.

It should be standard practice for trainers to review their notes after every use in order to rectify these types of mistakes. A trainer who continues to use materials that contain mistakes is just lazy.

If the check on the existing learning materials reveals they are deficient in any way, you must take appropriate action to address that situation. This can mean a simple rewrite of notes through to buying in externally prepared materials.




It is also important to check any copyright or use restrictions on materials or resources to be used.

As a trainer, you may also wish to supplement these existing notes, with your own additional materials as required.

Use workplace materials and resources wherever possible

Using materials available from within the workplace is the best training option because:

It reflects and accommodates current workplace practice

It is often more readily available

It can be much cheaper than other bought-in alternatives.

For example, if you were conducting a training session that focussed on arithmetical skills, it would be very appropriate to use a workplace price list and order form, as well as perhaps a workplace invoice, statement, or credit note for the examples and exercises.

The use of workplace documentation (in this example) lends a workplace context to what is otherwise a very generic skill – and this workplace orientation should motivate learners and add depth and application to their learning.

If you are using workplace documents, you must ensure you know all about any forms, that you are going to use.

For example, make sure you know:

When it has to be completed

Who has to complete it

What details are required in the form

Where the form is available

Where it goes once it is completed

What all the sections of the form are used for

Whether or not authorisation for the document is required – and if so, from whom and how that authorisation is recorded.


64


Purchasing learning resources and materials

When purchasing externally produced training resources, it is usually the case that these are generic in nature. This means they may have been prepared for an industry sector, but will not have been prepared especially to address the workplace needs of your individual business.

This, in turn, may mean that in many cases they are less than 100% useful or applicable so there can still be a need for you to generate some of your own material so that the training reflects the demands of your individual workplace.

Cost considerations

There will be lots of occasions where you need a learning resource, but there is simply not the money to produce or obtain it.

In these cases, you have to find another way to achieve your objective. There is no magic bottomless bucket of money available to support training. Many training practices have no budget at all, and if you are lucky enough to have a budget, you will be expected to work within the limits placed on expenses.

For example, if you were training staff in cash register operation, it is pointless using for training purposes a cash register that has been removed from operational use last year. You need to use a cash register the same as the one currently in use.

But cash registers cost money and management will be reluctant to buy a new cash register just for training purposes. So what can you do? You can‟t elect not to conduct the training!

You might consider:

Running training sessions before an outlet opens or after it closes – when the cash registers are available

Arranging for the supplier of your cash registers to lend you a cash register for a period for training purposes

Asking the supplier to attend with their own cash register and conduct the training themselves

Joining with another outlet or hospitality business in the area on within your group to contribute to the shared cost of buying a training cash register that can be used between the different businesses

Hiring a cash register for the training session.




Choosing resources and materials to reflect learning styles and

individual differences

When choosing learning materials, this should be done bearing in mind the individual learning styles and preferred learning preferences of the staff.

In theory, this means that if a staff member learns better by reading the printed word, you should obtain hard copy materials for them to read. If the learner prefers to hear their information as opposed to reading it, the theory says you should deliver a lecture-type training session and perhaps provide this person with an audiotape.

As you can see, there are huge implications in catering for individual differences in terms of expense (that is, money to buy all different types of materials to accommodate all differences in learning styles and preferences), and in terms of time.

In practice, it is impossible for you to cater for all individual needs, so the general rule is to develop or obtain materials that will provide the most benefit to the greatest number.

In the real world, this means that some preferred learning styles and preferences go uncatered for.

Obviously, however, there are some individual differences that cannot be ignored, for example:

It would be useless to provide all printed material for a staff member who is severely vision impaired

There is no point providing English language notes to a worker who doesn‟t read or understand English.

Interpret the context

Lots of excellent training materials and resources are available. There are thousands of videos/DVDs that can support many different training topics, but it is important to use only materials and resources that are appropriate to the specific workplace content.

For example:

An otherwise excellent video/DVD on handling customer complaints may be useless if it relates to the transport industry

A brilliant manual on customer relations may become totally inappropriate if it fails to align with the organisation‟s policies and procedures in this area

A great set of diagrams and instructions becomes useless if it doesn‟t relate to the specific item (brand, model, etc.) of equipment used by the store.

Support and advice in determining the context for materials and resources can be gained for the „usual sources‟. These include supervisors, subject experts, experienced staff, government officials, suppliers, support industries and management.


66


2.4 Develop individual training sessions

Introduction

Once all necessary training materials have been collected or prepared, it is important to prepare individual training session plans. These will be the framework of each training session.

A session plan is a hard copy document used by the trainer to guide and manage the delivery of individual training sessions.

Each training session should have its own training/delivery plan.

This plan provides a detailed plan which can be followed by all trainers and learners.

Benefits of session plans

Having a session plan has many benefits including:

Ensuring all necessary learning topics are covered

Ensures adequate timing for each activity

Allows both trainers and learners to see exactly what will be covered

Allows for adequate timekeeping

Provides consistency of training , regardless of trainer

Ensures all necessary resources and materials are arranged

Provides a template for further training.

On the following pages is an example of a session plan for „Designing a Training Program‟. As you can see the attention to detail is greater than that included in the Learning Plan previously explained.




Session Plan

Session Title Designing a training program

Session Number 1 of 4

Session Time 9am to 5pm

Aim/objective To develop the ability to design and deliver workplace training sessions to groups and individuals against organisational guidelines.

Assessments Activity Guide x 19 activities (to be completed in class)

Assessment Guide x 6 Assessment tasks

Organisational Guidelines Guideline 1 – Design and develop learning programs

Guideline 2 – Use SOP‟s to meet learner needs

Guideline 3 – Plan, organise and deliver group based learning

Guideline 4 – Plan, organise and facilitate learning in the workplace

Guideline 5 – Provide work skill instruction

Guideline 6 – Make a presentation

Resources Whiteboard and Flipchart and markers

Trainee folder (includes Learner Guides x 2 clusters, Learner Activity Guides x 2 clusters, Learner Assessment Guides x 2 clusters including templates)

Trainer Class Activities and Handouts.


68


Topic Content Method/Resources Time Clock

Welcome and

introduction

Slide 1: Training program

Welcome and introduce

Whiteboard

Ice-Breaker: Get to know you – Participants are asked to stand and speak for one minute about themselves.

What‟s in the bag? Folder, diary, bottle, pen, disc.

Handout 10 min 09:10

Explain program – 10 days and hand out Quick course guide.

Days, times, optional workshops and purpose.

Housekeeping.

Why are we here?

How to direct themselves through the information.

Relating to topics and learner‟s experiences.

Ready and motivated.

Breaking down barriers.

Learner Guide 20 min 09:30

Slide 2: Assessment

Go through assessment tasks in details and explain you can review it again at the end of the day.

Explain ALL activities will be completed in class.

Present all assessments typed and in order and partial assessments will not be accepted, as activities are completed in class they can be handed in hand written.

Explain at the end of each day if there is time candidates will be given time to complete assessment tasks.

Activity and Assessment Guides

30 min 10:00

Slides 3 & 4: Competency standards

Go through these competency standards with the group explaining this is slide 2 in more detail.

Refer them to the assessment matrix in the front of each learner guide in their folders which has more detail.






What is

training?

Slide 5: reflection: Trainer to lead visualisation exercise. Participants to think of the last training session they attended and write notes about details they can remembered as prompted. Trainer to read out the following points:

Handout 10 min 10:15

1. Presenter

2. Environment

3. Topic

4. Delivery

5. Content

6. Activities and tasks

7. What was useful, what not?

8. What they liked most and disliked most?

15 min 10.30

Break 20 min 10.50

Why train?

Slide 6: Mind map

Trainer writes the word “TRAINING” on the board and asks participants what they believe/know or assume training is about.

Whiteboard 10 min 11:15

Review: Follow on from Mind map results and trainer to circle the words/phrases that they believe training is about. In another colour the trainer circles those thoughts that WILL be covered in this course.


Slide 7: What is organisational guidelines? Handout 15 min 11:30

Slide 8: Key features of organisational guidelines Handout 5 min 11:35

Slide 9: What is competency? Explain this will discussed in detail in the assessment

cluster

Discussion 5 min 11:40


70



Slide 10: Competency based learning Handout 20 min 12:00

Slide11: Structure of competency standards

Refer to Communicate on the Telephone SOP.


Activity 1: In 2 or 3 groups participants to access different SOP‟s in the organisation to understand competencies required.

Guidelines and SOPS

35 min 12:45

LUNCH 45 min 13:30

Planning

training

Slide 12: What do these words mean?

Discussion: Break group into 2 or 3 groups and they are to write down their definitions of the words Trainer/Coach/Mentor/Facilitator/Instructor/Teacher. Review response and clarify answers.

Whiteboard

Discussion

10 min

5 min

13:40

13:45

Slide 13: Defining the learning program Discussion 5 min 13:50

Slide 14: Training options

Discuss each and who might undertake this training classroom, on job, off job, integrated into day to day work, e-learning, self paced or combination


Slide 15: Training methods

What are they? Discuss how training may differ.


BREAK 15 min 14:30





Learning plans

Slide 16: Benefits of learning plans

Discuss benefits


Slide 17: Work based learning plans

Refer to page 97 Appendix 3 of the LG.

They give an overview of the learning for a group or individual and involves on the job learning as the main approach but may also involve other types of learning e.g. off the job self paced or one to one coaching. Usually incorporates work based learning pathway plus organisational arrangements.


Slide 18: Individual learning plans

Individual learning plans are developed for an individual and feature a variety of learning approaches including work base learning, self paced (distance), face to face coaching or mentoring

See Appendix 4 in Learner Guide for a copy of an Individual Learning Plan.


Activity 2: In 2 or 3 groups complete this activity and then get each group to present their answers for discussion.

Learner Activity Guide

25 min 15:35

Slide 19: Activity: work based/individual learning scenario

In 2 or 3 groups complete this activity and get then get each group to present their answers for discussion.


Conclusion

Review outcomes of the day

Reflect and Q/A

Future: The next session.

60 min 17:00

End day 1


72


2.5 Organize training requirements

Introduction

Once the individual session plans have been developed, it is important that all the necessary arrangements for any upcoming training sessions are followed up.

It is vital that all preparations are conducted before the actual training session, so that the actual training session is not interrupted or time is wasted chasing up resources, equipment or materials.

Organise equipment and physical resources

As the trainer, it will be up to you to make sure that all required learning resources are available where needed, when needed and in sufficient quantities to accommodate the group of learners expected. Very rarely will a trainer have much in the way of assistance from dedicated support staff. In some cases, the manager‟s secretary may help by doing some photocopying, distributing material, etc. but this is usually fairly limited, and their other responsibilities will take priority over your training needs, too.

This will include:

Ensuring access to any training rooms, venues, etc. that are needed – many areas are kept locked, so you may need to organise keys, or for doors, cupboards (that contain required materials) to be unlocked

Ensuring the safety of all the resources to be used

Ensuring the equipment to be used is fully operational and functional in accordance with your training needs. This needs to be verified prior to the training. It is time-wasting and embarrassing to find out that equipment does not work when you have a group of learners eager to learn

Ensuring you have access to all relevant policies, procedures and manufacturer‟s instructions that relate to the training topic

Ensuring the security of the training site – so that staff or customers are unable to interfere with, or steal, items

Guaranteeing you have sufficient materials – this can include making sure there are sufficient consumables, an appropriate number of pieces of equipment (for staff to practise on), and sufficient copies of notes, handouts and other print-based materials

Ensuring the training delivery resources are available – these are the items you need to provide the training. Examples include overhead projector, PowerPoint projector and computer, video machine and DVD player

Arranging the training venue to suit the specific needs of the upcoming training session – which may include moving tables, chairs and items of equipment

Arranging for phone calls to the training area to be diverted




Organising refreshments for learners, where appropriate – this may simply be tea and coffee, but may also include snacks or meals for longer training sessions

Checking and establishing an environment conducive to learning in the training area – this may involve turning off (or on) music, radio and televisions, setting the air-conditioning and checking that all lights are working correctly (no blown globes and certainly no flickering fluorescents).

Liaising with others

Part of your preparation activities will also include liaising with other staff or management in relation to the upcoming training.

This could include:

Reminding learners about the upcoming session‟s time, date, venue and objectives and what to bring

Reminding supervisors that some of their staff will be attending training – and this can include helping them to back-fill positions with other workers. It is to be hoped that you have, wherever possible, chosen a training time that best fits with the workplace demand for staff to be „at work‟ rather than „at training‟

Contacting guest speakers, trainers and others whom you have arranged to attend the session – just to confirm their attendance and availability. Sometimes things crop up and they can‟t attend as arranged, so the earlier you know about this, the more time you have to arrange something else

Contacting caterers – to confirm numbers, times and what is to be served.

Ensuring a safe environment

Safety must be an ongoing concern for trainers. Training must never take place where safety is compromised.

It is not acceptable to train in an unsafe environment and say „It‟s okay to do this because this is what may happen in the workplace‟.

There are two aspects to consider.

Operational safety of the learner

Occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation places a non-negotiable obligation on all employers, including management, to be fully responsible for the safety of all employees while they are at work. This obligation, naturally, extends into any training in which the staff member is participating.

Learners have to be as safe during training as they are during any other aspect of their work.

This means the trainer has to be aware of all the dangers and hazards associated with the task being trained so that they can pass appropriate safety information on to the learner.


74


In many ways, there is a need for you to be more aware of safety when training, simply because the inexperienced learner may not be familiar with the safety requirements, dangers and hazards associated with certain tasks.

In many training situations, there is an absolute need to cover the safety aspects of the task before any practical training commences: in most cases, you should also conduct some sort of assessment to confirm that staff are aware of the safety elements. If nothing else, this assessment can be used as evidence that you have discharged your legal duty of care in relation to safety before hands-on training begins.

If the training situation requires that safety be addressed and you don‟t know all there is to know about the topic, a subject expert must be used for this aspect of the training.

What exactly constitutes „safety‟ will depend on the task, location and procedure and can include consideration of:

Workplace safety equipment – such as fire hoses, fire extinguishers, fire blankets and cut-off switches

Personal protective equipment and clothing – such as aprons, protective gloves, steel- capped boots, hard hats, respirators and thermal wear

Material Safety Data Sheets – that detail emergency first aid and clean-up procedures where there is an accident/incident

Safety guards – especially on equipment with moving parts, sharp components/blades or hot surfaces

Manual handling and lifting skills – as well as devices used to assist in manual handling activities (fork lifts, trolleys and lifters)

Operational skills that contain an element of risk or danger – which can include activities where there are awkward or repetitive movements, where heavy loads or cramped conditions are involved, where extremes of temperature are involved, or where dangerous items of equipment are being used

Safe access and exit requirements – making sure that learners can safely (including in the event of an emergency) get in to and get out of the training area. This should also include ensuring that learners become familiar with the emergency procedures for the business as laid out in the Emergency Management Plan or similar for the organisation.

It is important that trainers liaise with the designated workplace OHS officer to assist with identifying hazards and implementing appropriate hazard management for all tasks where workplace training is involved.

Equipment safety

It is your responsibility – no-one else‟s – to ensure that all equipment being used for training is safe. This can mean, depending on the situation, that it:

Has been inspected and approved for use

Is working correctly, as intended, according to manufacturer‟s instructions

Is stable

Has no missing parts.




This can often be an issue where management expect trainers to use „just anything – it‟s only for training‟. Remember, if you believe you couldn‟t use it yourself safely, don‟t use it for training.

Be quite sure that if something goes wrong during the training and a learner gets hurt (or worse still, dies) it will be you who will be legally responsible – extremely large apply, as well as the potential for jail time.

In addition, the training must cover the safety checks that need to be done on equipment prior to using it in the actual workplace. The training must duplicate what is expected in the real workplace.

Training must stop when safety is compromised – no exceptions. This means you have to monitor actively learner safety and the safe operating condition of the equipment and the environment in which it is operating.

Learners are notified of training details

As the trainer, it will be your responsibility to organise the training and then to let staff/learners know what is happening.

The information that needs to be passed on to learners regarding the training arrangements includes the following.

Timing

It is important to make sure that all the learners who need to attend training are informed about the timing and location of the training.

Ways to achieve this include:

Verbally letting them know

Putting a message on the staff noticeboard

Using the e-mail.

When doing this make sure you:

Give the instructions in a clear manner – for example, does „Training starts at 8 o‟clock‟ mean 8:00 am or 8:00 pm?

Let the learners know when the training will finish – so they can plan the rest of their day

Start the training at the advertised time – it is a good habit to start on time, every time. This sends a message to learners, for their future reference, that they need to turn up on time, or a little before time.

Location

Give clear directions about where the training is to occur – this can be easy to do in smaller establishments, but difficult in larger premises, especially where there are multiple sites. You might need to consider giving:

Street address

Building name

Floor

Room number and/or name

Details of any transport provided – where the training is held off-site.


76


Contact details

Include your contact details – so people can follow-up with you if required.

What to bring

Let them know if they need to bring anything with them. This can include:

Paper and pen

Training materials (if already distributed)

Portfolio of work they are preparing

Samples of work already prepared

Personal protective equipment and clothing

If food is being provided, let them know this, too.

People attending

Notify them about anyone who will be attending the training session and give an indication as to why that person will be there. This can include:

List of other participants

A guest speaker – perhaps you have arranged for an official from some government authority to come and speak to staff, or perhaps it might be a previous employee, or someone from your network of contacts

A representative from a supplier/provider company – who is going to talk about a new product, give out samples, or provide their own company-based training for frontline staff

A management representative – who might be going to talk about the performance of the business, a new direction the store is seeking to take, financial matters, or promotional opportunities for staff.

Tracking costs

Training costs money – even the most basic and shortest training sessions involve at least time: your time as the trainer and staff time for those who attend as learners.

The bigger the training commitment, the larger the training cost and there can be a need for you to be accountable for costs associated with training.

Depending on the scope and nature of the training, these costs can require you to monitor and be responsible for the spending of money relating to training delivery. Responsibility means that you should be able to prove expenses and provide documentary evidence of expenditure in areas such as:

Staff wages in relation to those who attended training and assessment sessions – whether as learners, trainers, assessors, internal guest speakers, internal subject experts, staff who back-filled other staff while they attended training, or support staff who may have written notes, photocopied notes, etc.




Consumables – allocating materials and costs to individual training sessions such as notes, catering, and the raw materials and products used as part of the training and practice sessions

Purchases and hiring charges – where materials and resources were bought or hired for training purposes

Accommodation, travel and meals – where staff had to travel to an external site for training, or where you paid for someone to attend your workplace and provide training on-site.

Facilitator

Many trainers believe that they have to know all there is to know about topics in order to be an effective trainer.

This is not true. However a facilitator must be prepared before delivering any training session.

No-one can know everything about everything and a successful trainer is more a facilitator than anything else. This means they facilitate the learning process.

This facilitating can take various forms, such as:

Arranging for someone else to deliver the training

Involving others (subject experts, officials from government authorities, representatives from suppliers, other experienced staff members) to deliver, or participate.

Other people can provide supplementary support to the learners by way of:

Arranging for time and opportunity to practise new skills

Providing the means to obtain extra information – by providing manuals, website addresses, or enrolling learners in external formal courses

Assisting in organising time release and other support to underpin learning efforts

Supporting learners in their efforts – this can simply involve listening to their frustrations, acting as a sounding board, providing advice or performing the role of a „critical friend‟. That is, someone who will constructively criticise their efforts, but remain supportive.

Once you feel that everything has been adequately prepared for the training session, it is now time to but all this preparation into reality!


78


Work Projects


2.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to develop session outlines for approved training including:


Stating outcomes


Limits of training



Information to include in learning and session plans.

2.2 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to develop training content including:

Items for inclusion in training.

2.3 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to research how to develop training resources and materials including:




Choosing resources and materials to reflect learning styles and individual differences

Interpret the context.

2.4 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to develop individual training sessions

2.5 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to organise training requirements including:




Learners are notified of training details.




Summary

Prepare training plan

Develop session outlines for approved training:


Stating outcomes


Limits of training



The „self-fulfilling prophecy‟ in training

Learning and session plans

Information to include in learning and session plans.

Develop training content:

Items for inclusion in training.

Develop training resources and materials:




Purchasing learning resources and materials

Cost considerations

Choosing resources and materials to reflect learning styles and individual differences

Interpret the context.

Develop individual training sessions:

Benefits of session plans

Session plan.

Organise training requirements:




Learners are notified of training details

Tracking costs

Facilitator.


80





Element 3:

Deliver training sessions

3.1 Confirm attendance of learners at the training

session

Introduction

Without learners, no training session will be successful. In many cases potential learners may have been told well in advance about upcoming training and may have forgotten about the training or need a reminder. It is a good idea to follow up with learners to ensure they are able to attend.

This may be done a couple of weeks to a month before the training session to ensure that the learner does not make any other arrangements at that time.

Reasons for confirming attendance

Confirming of attendance is both beneficial to both learners and trainers. This activity is useful as it may be the last contact before the actual training session and it is vital that both parties are clear about the mechanics of the upcoming training session.

For the Learner

One of the key requirements of any training session is to ensure that learners:

Are aware of training session

Confirm that they are able to attend

Can notify their supervisors if time off work if required, to enable them to allocate replacement staff

Know all the details of the training session

Understand all the session details

Have received all the information they need before the session

If there is any preparatory activities to be done by the learner, such as reading, research of preparing written documents, that they are aware of expectations

Have any questions regarding the training answered where possible.

It is important that the learner is comfortable with what is going to happen in upcoming training sessions. The less surprises that arise, the more receptive the learner will be. Given that training is normally an area which is new to a learner, you don‟t want to have instances which may impact their confidence.


82


For the trainer

It is important that trainers confirm attendance as this helps confirm:

Training room size

Number of tables and chairs

Suitable configuration of training area

Amount of training equipment needed (e.g. kitchen stoves if cooking training)

Number of training materials to prepare

Number for catering purposes

Any dietary requirements.

Methods to follow up

There are a number of ways in which to follow up attendance with learners. The method used will be dependent on the location of learners and the type of message to be delivered.

Methods include:

Phone call – to get verbal confirmation and to enquire if the learner has any questions

Email – if just a confirmation is required

In person – whether individually or in a group situation (a specific meeting relating to the training session or as part of a shift briefing). This method is useful if materials need to be distributed and explained

SMS – A simple text may be used to remind learners and to get confirmation of attendance in a simple and timely manner.

3.2 Prepare the training venue for the training

session

Introduction

After all the preparation leading up to the training session, it is now time to actually deliver the training to learners.

It is important that the trainer prepares the training venue before the learners arrive to ensure all arrangements have been made and to ensure the training can start on time.

This can be done the day before or a few hours before the start of the training session, depending on venue availability and preference of the trainer.

Most trainers will have some element of nervousness before any new training session, regardless of how many times they may have conducted training sessions in the past. This is more so, if the venue, group or content is new to them.

By ensuring the training environment is ready, removes any unnecessary stress for the trainer.




Preparation activities

Key personnel

When you first arrive at the venue it is important to contact any key people including:

Venue management

Caterers

Facilitators

Guest speakers

Suppliers of equipment or resources.

You will need to confirm arrangements with these key personnel to ensure everyone is clear as to the training requirements.

Venue

You will need to check the venue to ensure it is prepared as required. This includes:

Adequate tables and chairs

Specified configuration of training environment

Suitable air-conditioning or heating including location of switches

Suitable lighting and how to work the lights. This is important if you want to turn lights on/off to conduct presentations etc.

Break out areas if required

Sign to notify learners of venue location. This may be in front of the room or in the building entrance

Speaking with staff who may need to direct learners to the training venue

Location of toilets, catering venue such as a restaurant

Location of support services including printing and photocopying.

Equipment

This relates to equipment that is used to present information to learners. Trainer will need to check:

Screens, DVD players, microphones, stands, audio players

Whiteboards with appropriate pens and cleaners

Laser pointers

Flipcharts, paper and pens

Overhead projectors – how to connect to computer and to ensure trainer is comfortable how to operate

Power boards, leads and adaptors that may be required

Internet access and passwords.


84


Training equipment

This relates to any equipment that will be used as part of the delivery. Some examples include:

coffee machines to teach learners how to make coffee

glasses and blenders in cocktail making sessions

wine bottles, openers, buckets and glasses in wine sessions

bakery equipment if teaching how to make bread or pastry items

Access to guest rooms, linen, towels, buckets, detergents and vacuum cleaners when teaching learners how to clean guest rooms.

When checking equipment, ensure:

Right numbers

They are in working order

You are familiar how to use it them

Any accompaniments that are requires including food, ingredients, beverages, napkins etc.

Utensils and other supporting operational equipment.

Training materials

Follow up location of materials that have been transported to the venue before the training session

Lay out teaching resources in a logical manner to enable easy access

Lay out resources for learners in the specific locations.

Catering

Right number

Timing of catering.

Review documents

It is a good idea for the trainer to review all necessary documentation so that they are familiar with the scheduling, order, timing and content of the training session.

This may include a review of:

Learning plan

Session plan

Training manual or notes.




Check your personal presentation

High levels of personal presentation and grooming are an important aspect of making any presentation, especially where you are representing the business.

You should always take a minute in the bathroom to check your appearance before the first attendees arrive. Check your teeth, hair, shoes, clothes and general personal presentation.

Good personal presentation is important because:

It signals respect for those who have come to listen to the presentation

Looking good helps give you a feeling of confidence

It sends a message to the audience that you are competent. They will equate high levels of personal presentation with high levels of knowledge, expertise and competency. In the same way they will make an initial negative judgement about you if your appearance is less that professional

It indicates that you value the session and have taken the time and trouble to prepare not only the room and materials, but also yourself, for it.

Your mobile is turned off – it is acceptable to ask the audience (in most settings) to also turn theirs off too.

Overcoming anxiety

We have said that some people – even people who are extremely competent in their job – can get very anxious about making any sort of public presentation. It has been said that to some, public speaking is a fear as great as death itself!

Some basic techniques that may help in coping with these understandable fears are:

Arrive early and look around the venue/room to familiarise yourself with the environment and get accustomed to the setting. Try to „own‟ the space, it‟s „yours‟

Make sure your presentation has been thoroughly planned. Take time to get confidence from the fact you have taken the time and trouble to do a good planning job. You have left nothing to chance, everything has been covered. You‟ve checked the equipment, you have all the materials, you‟ve done the practice – so enjoy the feeling that this gives you. You are ready!

Remember this is „just‟ a presentation. This is not a life or death ordeal/trial. Accept that if you get it wrong you will learn from your mistake and move on – making a mistake won‟t kill you. It might embarrass you but it won‟t kill you

Use breathing techniques to relax yourself prior to the presentation. Breathe deeply from the stomach and get plenty of oxygen into the system, calm yourself by using meditation techniques if that works for you. Visualise a successful and effective presentation

Concentrate on your presentation rather than the audience. Some people find they can overcome anxiety by almost forgetting about the audience (as far as possible) and focussing on their plan for delivery, focussing on the content. No doubt at all that passion for the subject matter is a key in this regard. You can truly get lost in the content if it‟s a passion and almost forget there is an audience.


86


3.3 Introduce training topic to learners

Introduction

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is certainly true when commencing a training session. This is the moment when you have the greatest attention of the audience and if you are able to convey confidence, competency and professionalism yourself, it helps the audience to generate confidence in you, as a trainer.

So what should you do at the start of a training session?

Welcome

It is important that the trainer and the audience are familiar with important aspects of the training session, before the actual content of the training program is introduced.

Some important „housekeeping‟ topics to introduce to the audience include, but are not limited to:

A brief welcome to the training session

Thanking learners for attending

Introduction of trainer

Introduction of learners – this is a good „icebreaker‟ which enables both trainer and learners to become comfortable with each other, but it also enables the trainer to identify strengths, weaknesses and experiences of learners. This comes in handy later when the trainer needs to call on specific people for input

Rules and expectations of training sessions including mobile phones, confidentiality, acceptable and unacceptable conduct, dress and respect for each other

Scheduling of activities – brief introduction to timing of topics, breaks, finishing times etc.

Introduction of training resources to enable learners to become familiar with the materials they will be using

Location of toilets, smoking areas and catering.

Generate interest

Once the initial introductions have been done, it now time to get the audience focused on the subject content.

How will you generate interest to get audience attention?

Options could include:

Anecdotes – telling a short story that is of interest and relates to the subject of the presentation. This can be based on personal observation, something you have read, something you have overheard, a story based on your personal industry/store experience




Use of actual examples – to stimulate interest: where presenting to the public about your establishment/product never under-estimate the positive role that can play. Remember too that those in the audience are probably expecting some of your product too

A brief but arresting statement of facts – to indicate at the outset of the presentation what the challenges are that (for example) are being faced by the company, or to describe the opportunity/potential that exists or the trends that are emerging

Use of a video/DVD, PowerPoint or other recorded visual medium – these can assist in highlighting the introduction or creating a context for the session

Reading from, or showing, current media articles.

In many situations there is a need or a preference to do something eye-catching, different with this part of the presentation.

It pays to think about this rather than just go with the first thing that comes to mind.

Remember, not all people at a presentation may want to be there so the obligation lies firmly with you to give them a reason to be there and to enjoy the experience, to learn something from it. The more motivated people are, the more receptive they are to what you have to present and the less of a distraction they are going to be to you as the presenter and to others in the audience.

Consider the following:

A topical question – “Do you want to know why so many XYZ stores have just closed?” – for a group interested in increasing sales or maintaining store viability

Distributing a really bad cup of coffee and asking people to try it and tell you what is was like and then saying “Well, I‟m going to show you how you‟ll never serve a coffee like that to your customers!”

Showing a series of trading figures that prove a constant decline in revenue over the past several weeks/months and asking “Can anyone tell me what they think these figures indicate and what might be the topic for my presentation this evening?”

An opening demonstration (or role play) of how to do something the wrong way – and then explaining this presentation will teach the right way.

Reason for the training

Now that the audience is thinking about the training topic, the reason for the training should be explained to learners. This would be just a brief outline to „set the scene‟.

At the beginning of the actual training session itself, this reason should be restated and expanded on.

A trainer should let learners know what they are going to learn.

Telling adult learners what the reasons are for the training is vital as they really do need to know why they are doing the training. To adults, doing any training that has no reason, purpose or that doesn‟t make any sense is simply seen as a waste of time and an insult to their intelligence.


88


Successful training can never be simply imposed on learners without adequate explanation. Learners must be made aware of the need for the training and be shown how the training will benefit them, the business or the customers. Once the learners understand why they need to do the training, this will help to act as motivation for them to undertake the work and focus more effectively.

Possible reasons for the training can include:

Enabling learners to do a job better, safer, quicker and with less waste

Providing new or upgraded skills, knowledge or attitudes – which can lead to extra hours, more pay/overtime, specialist premium payments/allowances, increased chance of promotion or extra responsibilities

Compliance with externally imposed requirements – such as meeting the needs for OHS and licensing and certification requirements

Compliance with internal requirements – such as requests from management that staff, generically or specific individuals, undertakes nominated training for various reasons. This might include multi-skilling of staff to allow for flexibility in rostering, succession planning for cases where staff are leaving the business, going on extended leave or being promoted to another area.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using money as a motivator or reason for the training. If the training will lead to more pay, extra hours, a higher hourly rate, a premium payment, or higher duties allowances, then it is perfectly acceptable to let staff know this.

Outcomes for the training

This asks you to let staff know what they will be able to do at the conclusion of the training.

It means you have to highlight the difference for the learners between what they can‟t do before the training and what they will be able to do at the end of the training.

In lots of ways, this is similar to explaining the reasons for the training.

Points you might look at can include:

Detailing tasks that trained staff will be able to do once they have been trained

Explaining the level of legal liability that attaches to staff once they have been trained – for example, once employees have received a certain qualification, they may be at a higher level of exposure in terms of their legal responsibility

Quantifying the number of staff who will be trained – including identifying the specific skills they will be trained in

Explaining how the content of the training matches the business plans and objectives that the organisation has set for the performance of the business.




3.4 Explain the training and assessment activities

involved in the training session

Introduction

Whilst the learners may be aware of the topics included in the training program, it is a good idea to explain the program in a summary format so they have an overall picture of what will be delivered in the program.

This is where a copy of a learning or session plan will come in handy. It can be used as a guide to explaining training and assessment activities to learners.

In addition the trainer may run through the Training Manuals or other resources with learners so they can visually locate and understand topics in the training program.

Summary of training activities

In the last section, the reasons for training and the outcomes were identified.

In this section, the trainer will go into more detail regarding the actual training topics and activities that the learners will be required to undertake.

Items that may be discussed include:

Trainers and facilitators of selected topics

Summary of topics

Areas within these topics

Method of delivery for topics

Location for training (if different from main training venue)

Activities to be completed as part of the class

Requirements of learners in activities.

Summary of assessment activities

It is important to let learners know at the beginning of the training session, what assessments they will be required to undertake to be deemed successful in the program.

Information learners will need to know include:

Number of assessments

Types of assessments to be used

Dates of assessment

Clear explanation of the assessments so learners understand what is expected

Marking criteria and weighting of each assessment activity towards final mark

Pass mark for assessments

What happens if they are below the pass mark.


90


3.5 Present training session

Introduction

This section explores the different roles and responsibilities a trainer will need to manage during the training session.

There are many points to consider when conducting a training session, however at the end of the day, the aim is to enable learners to be able to learn and undertake specific skills, as specified in the training outcomes and objectives.

Leadership

During the training, you must manage the twin functions of „group task‟ and „group maintenance‟.

Task functions

„Task‟ functions of leadership involve leading the group successfully completing their training. Factors included here are:

Offering ideas and information to the learners

Seeking opinions from learners

Passing on facts and skills to learners

Giving directions to learners

Setting plans for learners to help them achieve the set training goals

Getting the individuals within a group to function as a cohesive unit

Coordinating activities of learners

Clarifying learner goals as they progress through a session or topic.

Maintenance functions

„Maintenance‟ functions centre on ensuring the learners continue to work harmoniously and that there are good working relationships among all participants. This includes your being involved in:

Provision of positive feedback to learners – to help keep them interested, engaged and motivated

Giving encouragement – either verbally or non-verbally

Raising enthusiasm amongst learners – to make them aware that they can achieve what is required, and to provide motivation during the tough times when they might be tired or disinterested

Maintaining a safe, secure and supportive physical and emotional environment – physical safety is, of course, important, but so, too, is the need to provide emotional support when learners find the going tough, or when they feel dispirited




Acknowledging contributions and efforts made by trainees – the important thing is to provide acknowledgement for effort and not just for success

Using humour as a motivator and means of reducing tension – this can assist in maintaining momentum and getting learners to have another go at something they may have previously not succeeded in

Sensitive and non-judgemental communication – it is very important that whatever is said to learners cannot be misconstrued in any way. Your role is to support, encourage, nurture – not to criticise or put people down

Frequent, accurate and encouraging feedback – which means finding something to provide a positive comment about even when learners are unable to achieve the set objective.

Training styles

It is important to select a training style that best suits the topics for learning and the characteristics of the individual learners and the group as a whole.

There are three basic training styles:

Authoritarian

Laissez-faire

Democratic.

Each is fundamentally different and each has different implications for training delivery. You must assess each group on its merits and apply the style that appears the most appropriate in each instance.

While you may prefer one alternative, it is often impossible to use that preference in every situation with every learner, safety or discipline factors may dictate otherwise.

Authoritarian style

In this style, the trainer is very authoritarian, autocratic and even tyrannical.

There is no dispute as to who the boss is, or who is in-charge of the training session.

The trainer dictates what will happen and allows no departure from preset plans, or from pre-prepared exercises, questions and timeframes.

The effect of this style is that learners often feel the training is taking place for the benefit of the trainer rather than for their benefit – they feel afraid, disillusioned and irrelevant. Some will see this style as a challenge and proceed to do whatever they can to annoy, upset or jack up the trainer.

The authoritarian style is rarely effective with adults because it puts most people very quickly off-side and raises all sorts of barriers to learning. This approach may be appropriate or preferable in the army, but it has little to recommend it in the business world of adult training.

Nonetheless, it does have a limited use.


92


Where the training involves something very dangerous and the trainer wants to ensure no-one gets injured, this style allows the trainer to quite literally tell the learners what to do and doesn‟t allow any discussion on the tropic. There is no room for the learner to make suggestions as to how the procedure may be modified or to apply their own personality to the topic.

Regular use of this style as the norm, though, is usually an indication of trainer insecurity and anxiety. The trainer is very closed with the learners, is afraid of making a mistake, feels learners are out to make a fool of him/her, and tends to dominate activities and discussions.

Laissez-faire style

This style is the complete opposite of the authoritarian style.

In this style, little or no direction is given by the trainer in terms of what will take place during the session.

Much of the time is spent taking care of people‟s feelings, discussing anything and everything except the topic of training, and generally just passing the time of day.

While this may be an appropriate approach for some learning situations where emotions are involved, it tends not to be very applicable to task-related workplace training where trainees are usually job-focussed and intent on achieving something.

To most learners in a work environment, time is valuable and any training session that fails to quickly „get to the point‟ and stick to it, is seen as frustrating and a waste of time. This leads to severe problems with learners‟ motivation, attendance and achievement – and your credibility.

Learners expect the trainer to take control over the training and not let it turn into a waste of time.

Democratic style

Adult learners prefer this approach in which they are treated like adults and feel they are not simply being lectured to.

This style sees them as individuals with individual skills, abilities, experiences and needs, rather than as a generic mass that has no feelings or opinions. In this approach adults are valued for who they are and regarded as distinct individuals, equal to the trainer in all but (perhaps) subject knowledge and workplace skills.

The trainer presents to the group the task to be learned and obtains agreement that the task is indeed a reasonable aim, explaining why there is a need for this skill or knowledge in the workplace. The trainer also, from the outset, creates a safe, secure and equitable (democratic) environment by encouraging learners to contribute, participate and offer alternatives.

While this situation provides learners with a warmer environment in which to function, there must also be a realisation the trainer overall is still in-charge and shoulders responsibility for the training: the trainer has final control of what happens and has the right to take decisive action, but what is decided may be modified by learner input.




For example, less time may be spent on a topic the learners believe they already know. A particular type of training delivery, such as reading from a manual, might be changed to something else because the learners have indicated they don‟t like that approach. The background music that is playing while they work on self-paced individual exercises might be turned up or down as requested by the group.

The difference in this training style is that the trainer using a democratic style is assertive, whereas in an authoritarian style they are aggressive or dominant.

Structure of training program

The structure of the learning session will be prescribed in the session plan, which will set out the sequence in which the training should occur.

For example, coverage of theory will precede practical application of the theory.

If you need to determine exactly what has to be included in the information delivered, it can sometimes help to consider the possible content available to be delivered along the lines of:

Must know – it is essential to deliver this

Should know – this is less critical information but still important for the learners to know

Could know – this information is not essential/necessary but still useful, and more „nice to know‟ than anything else.

The structure of the session also refers to the nature of the activities that are involved in the delivery. Your delivery plan should identify which of the available techniques are to be used, indicating where they are to be applied and what content each of them covers.

It is a common aim for training situations to:

Use delivery techniques that best suit the nature of the information being taught – for example, a demonstration is the best way of teaching a practical cooking skill

Use delivery techniques that meet the preferred learning styles of participants

Use techniques that are cost-effective

Use a variety of appropriate techniques in order to make the delivery more interesting – reliance on just one or two options can make an otherwise interesting session quite boring for the learners.

Training techniques

Training techniques commonly used in workplace situations include:

Demonstrations

Explanations

Question and answer sessions


94


Group work – including getting learners to work in pairs

Case studies

Discovery activities

Problem-solving

Practice opportunities for learners to hone their newly acquired s.

Communicating with learners

Your interaction with learners must continue throughout any learning session – that is to say, your role doesn‟t end once you‟ve provided an explanation or a demonstration.

Your interaction, and hence the need for communication, is expected until the training session finishes and many will need to have communication with you after the session has ended, for extra tuition, clarification of points, or to raise training-related issues.

Commonly, learners are anxious about their progress and they are seeking an answer to the questions „How am I going?‟, „Am I on the right track?‟, “‟s what I am doing OK?‟

Many learners will not actually state these concerns out loud, but it is usual that they are thinking them.

Again, the effective trainer will set their mind at ease by supplying appropriate answers.

This type of support and feedback can be communicated either by verbal or non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication

This is communication you speak, such as „You‟re doing a great job, Tony. Now would you like to try creating a separate invoice for an overseas customer who is paying by credit card using foreign currency?‟

Non-verbal communication

This is communication via body language, for example, in a training session where you have given learners an opportunity to practise you might simply watch what someone is doing, look at them, catch their eye and smile or nod your head in approval.

Factoring in the environment

All training communication must take into account the learning environment. Sometimes you know what the actual training environment will be like so you can determine in advance how you will communicate with the group/individuals involved.

At other times, you have to tailor-make your communication to suit the conditions that apply.

For example, if you were conducting a training session and there were customers able to hear what was being said, you would avoid talking about commercial-in-confidence information, sharing certain anecdotes that you might otherwise tell the group, or using colourful language.




If the environment was noisy due to machinery, passing traffic or other sources of uncontrollable noise you would need to plan not to have to talk to learners in this situation. Perhaps you would brief them in advance of the noisy conditions, set guidelines for their behaviour and make sure that all necessary information about that environment (safety issues, things to watch) had been covered prior to entering that location.

Communication can also be influenced by light – in some cases you may need to turn lights on or off, turn them up or down, draw shades, blinds or curtains.

A room that is uncomfortable in terms of temperature also has the potential to impact on communication. This means you may have to adjust the air-conditioning, open or close a door or window to help stop people falling asleep.

Communication skills are used to provide information, instruct learners and demonstrate relevant work skills

Communication skills comprise verbal and non-verbal components.

As a trainer, it is important you use both components properly to increase the chance of effective learning occurring. The required communication skills include a range of points from the following.

Providing explanations

Verbal explanations

Explanations need to be presented before and during demonstrations. They are an ongoing necessity in all training situations.

Along with being able to conduct competent demonstrations, the ability to provide explanations that your learners can easily follow is a training skill that you need to hone.

When providing explanations:

Use language and terms that learners can understand – explain any new terms or phrases

Illustrate explanations wherever possible by reference to actual items, samples or examples

Use lots of anecdotal explanations drawn from your own experience – the use of second-hand anecdotal experiences is also valid providing they are relevant

Structure the explanation correctly – the explanation must have a logical flow to it, and you should be able to divide it up into short chunks so you can stop throughout the explanation and ask questions to test learner understanding

Prepare for all explanations you have to give – very few excellent explanations are given „off the cuff‟. Preparing for explanations means:

writing a script to ensure you cover all that needs to be said

trialling the script to see if it works properly


96


referring to notes during the actual explanation to make sure you cover topics in the right sequence, and you don‟t miss anything out

consider taping/filming your explanation – either during the trial process or in-class – and play it back to see if you can identify any points you need to change.

It is wise to seek feedback from participants to determine what they thought about your explanation skills.

In brief, all information must be presented coherently and clearly, whether provided verbally or in writing.

Written explanation

Trainers will communicate with learners mainly via the spoken word and the printed word (that is, notes, manuals, texts and overheads), but they will also communicate to a lesser extent in writing.

The two main occasions where this is required is when:

Writing on a board

Providing handwritten notes/explanations to individuals in a one-on-one situation.

When providing handwritten notes on paper, it is necessary to take a bit of extra time to make sure that they can actually read what you have written. The writing doesn‟t need to be copperplate but it needs to be legible.

If the leaner can‟t read your writing they will commonly not ask you to decipher the scribble for fear of giving offence and perhaps risking getting off-side with you.

When writing on a white board of flip chart it is essential to practice first. Writing on boards is a skill in itself and one you should perfect before subjecting your learners to your practice sessions!

Some tips include:

Make sure the board is clean before the session begins

Check to make sure you have chalk and/or white board markers plus cleaners– when using a white board double-check to make sure the markers are whiteboard markers and not permanent markers!

Write bigger than normal – do a few test runs first. Write a couple of sentences and then step back to where the learners will be to see if they can read it

Keep the lines straight – a common problem with most people who write on boards is that the sentence starts at the „right‟ level and slips lower down on the board as they write. To help overcome this, you must move along the board as you write the sentence: if you stay in the one spot, the sentence will nearly always drop

When writing on the board, don‟t speak – the learners can‟t see your face/lips, your voice may be muffled and they can‟t read your body language

Tell learners if you expect them to copy down what you have written – don‟t assume they will. If you expect them to copy down what is on the board, be quiet and let them do it in peace. Don‟t talk while they are trying to write – they can‟t listen to you and write down notes effectively at the same time.




If you need to write loads of information on the board, consider:

Writing it up before the learners arrive – as opposed to writing up while they are watching/waiting

Divide the board into two or three sections using vertical lines down the board to create the physical sections. Fill up one section before moving on to the next section. This can help you get out of the way so learners can see the board to copy down their notes

Be careful when using colour – colour is seen as a good thing to use when using a board as it gives variety, life, can assist when drawing wiring and similar other diagrams, but certain colours are very hard to read from a distance.

Language

When you conduct training a few points about language that you need to take into account are:

Remember the KISS („Keep It Short and Simple!‟) approach. Don‟t use long and complicated words. You aren‟t there to impress the learners with how smart you are, you‟re there to train them

Make sure all jargon used in the training (new jargon and commonly used jargon) is well understood – don‟t just assume learners will understand all the jargon that you use

Explain all relevant technical, establishment and other specialist terminology with special attention to „buzz words‟, manufacturer/supplier names and legal phraseology

Be sure that whatever you say cannot be misinterpreted as a put down. This may require you to rethink much of your existing natural speech pattern. In practice, this means you must avoid saying things such as „Look, this is really easy to learn – it‟s child‟s play‟, „No-one has a problem with this‟, or „You‟ll get the hang of this straightaway‟. Obviously, for example, if the learner doesn‟t get the hang of it straightaway, then you have just said they are more stupid than a child!

Speak to the learners when conducting a demonstration, and don‟t talk to the equipment. Making eye contact with the learners is a way of maintaining engagement with them throughout the session

Stop talking to the group/individual when you turn to face the whiteboard and resume talking when you turn back to face them. It can be hard for learners to understand what you say when they can‟t see your face/read your lips.

Demonstrating work skills

Demonstration is a very common and popular training technique.

When demonstration is required, consider the following:

Go through the tasks slowly and accurately – there is an old saying I do it normal, I do it slow, you do it with me, then off you go‟. This means a demonstration should be conducted as follows:

perform the task at normal speed, without explanation, to show what is required, to set the scene – I do it normal


98


perform the task step-by-step, explaining each one as you go, and asking trainees what they think the next step might be – I do it slow

get the trainees to have a go themselves, while you do it at the same time, correcting them as required – you do it with me

allow the trainees time for practice – then off you go

Get it right first time – it is important that you, as the trainer, get the training task right the first time. Any mistakes will have an enormous negative impact on the training, and adversely affect your personal credibility in the eyes of learners. This highlights the need for the trainer to be competent, and also underlines the need for the trainer to practise before delivering training

Provide verbal explanation when and where necessary – trainers must be able to simply and accurately explain what they are doing, and why. This includes being able to correctly name pieces of equipment and procedures being used. Industry terminology should be used as appropriate, but don‟t try to dazzle the learner with your own brilliance on the subject. Training is not intended to show the learner how smart you are!

Ensure all procedures used in training sessions comply with the organisation‟s policies and procedures. Internal policies, practices and procedures must be incorporated into the training so they become part of the operation, and are not seen as an optional extra

Ensure all demonstration of equipment complies with the manufacturer‟s instructions – the way learners are trained must conform to prescribed instructions, especially where safety is concerned.

Ask questions

Effective communication in training demands you ask clear and probing questions of your learners.

The questions must be clear so there is no confusion about the focus of the question.

They must be probing in order to provide you with information to factor in to your session delivery – has everyone understood? Can I keep going? Do I need to change anything about my delivery style, the training environment, etc?

These questions may be scripted questions written into your session plan, or they can be questions that arise during the session that you believe you need to ask.

The aim of questions can be:

To monitor how well learners are keeping up with the materials that are being presented – Are they on track? Are some falling behind? Do you need to go over a certain point again because quite a few seemed to have missed the point?

To identify whether or not you can move on to the next point/topic – in many cases there is a need for learners to fully comprehend certain information before they can progress to the next stage of the objective




To check with the learners on the how the physical training environment is meeting their needs

To check on the emotional needs of the group

To maintain interest in the session, and to keep learners on their toes

To encourage learners to be reflective and to reason problems out for themselves – encouraging initiative, self-belief and self-reliance

To assist learners to recall and remember facts, procedures, etc.

To assist in the formal assessment process.

Too many trainers think it is up to the learners to ask the questions, and feel that their job is to answer them, but a truly effective trainer will ask as many, or more, questions:

Use questions to determine the level of existing skills, knowledge and experience called „entry level‟ knowledge

Use questions to prompt responses to problems, to help learners think a problem through, to arrive at a solution by themselves. If a learner asks a question, don‟t just automatically respond with an answer

Use questions to check the level of understanding in relation to new information and training. This helps you monitor the extent to which learners are following what is being presented, and helps identify where you need to retrace your steps and re-present certain aspects of the training

Use „closed‟ questions to determine the specific knowledge of learners – closed questions are ones that can only be answered with a „yes‟ or a „No‟

Use „open‟ questions, too – to elicit the extent to which learners have a deeper understanding of the topic. Open questions start with:

Who

Why

How

When

Where

What

Use questions that are fair and relevant – again, don‟t try to impress the learners with your personal extra knowledge on the subject, and don‟t ask questions that they cannot realistically be expected to know the answers to

Don‟t ask questions about things you haven‟t taught unless it is for the purposes of establishing their starting level

Spread your questions around – don‟t just ask the „smart‟ ones!

Don‟t be sexist – ask questions of both sexes

Give learners time to answer questions that you ask.


100


Pace

Pacing of the session refers to how fast or how slowly you move through the session.

Keys in pacing a session include:

Start on time – don‟t wait for stragglers. Five minutes lost at the start of a session may be impossible to make up during the training

Know at the start how long you have to do the training, know exactly what you intend to cover and know how you are going to do the training

Monitor time throughout the progress of the session – so you know where you are in real time terms in comparison to where the delivery plan says you should be

Refrain from covering „could know‟ information where time is running short

Make sure that learners don‟t lead the session off course through interruptions, comments, red herrings or other activities that slow down the delivery

Stick to the session plan to the greatest extent possible – this asks you to refrain from adding bits and pieces to the training that you feel should be included

Identify as quickly as possible the point at which it becomes obvious that the planned session cannot be completed as intended, on time – so that you have the maximum amount of time available to determine how, and where, to conclude the session

Move the session along so that it remains interesting – the difficulty here is that while you want to keep moving forward, you cannot afford to do so at the expense of letting certain learners fall behind. Recognise that different learners learn at different rates, but you also have to be sensitive to drawing attention to those who may be struggling to keep up.

A good way of addressing this is to have a set of activities ready to give out to learners who are up to speed. The idea is to stop the delivery process when you believe some learners are falling behind and give out these activities such as case studies, exercises, self-paced learning materials, extra reading, „could know‟ information to the ones who are up to speed.

While the faster learners are engaged with these activities, this gives you a chance to spend some extra time with the slower learners to bring them on track with the others.

Note, too, that in some situations it may be best to finish the session as planned and then make separate arrangements at the end of the session with the slower learners to provide some extra (perhaps one-on-one) training, assistance, advice or practice opportunities.

You can never just finish a session and ignore the fact that the required content was not completed. It is your responsibility to work out how the required content can be achieved using some alternative techniques or extra sessions.




Making quick decisions

As a trainer, time does not allow you to ponder over situations or to delay activities due to indecision. It is important that the trainer is confident in making quick decisions.

During the session, your decisions may focus on:

Questions – who to ask, when to ask, what to ask, how to phrase it, when to re-ask the question putting it a different way and the tone of voice to use

Equipment – who should use it, how long they should be allowed to use it for, if it is safe, if the trainees are using it safely and how it should be arranged

Relationships – how X and Y are getting on, how things are going between two people from different nationalities, if there is any gender rivalry, if there is an age difference problem, if a trainee is feeling left out, how I can stop that one reading the newspaper

Environment – if it is too hot, if I should turn the lights off, if it is too noisy, if I should turn some music on, or if it is too crowded

Pacing – Am I going too slowly? How can I adapt my session plan to get through the task but still finish on time? Am I leaving anyone behind or are they all keeping up?

„Doing nothing‟ about a situation is a viable option in some circumstances, providing it is a reasoned response to the situation and not simply an easy option because you couldn‟t be bothered taking any other action.

Providing support

Here are some suggestions for developing a supportive learning environment:

Consider warm-ups – where time allows, it can be beneficial to start off each session with a „fun‟ warm-up activity such as a quiz or a light-hearted challenge not associated with the content of the training

Provide positive feedback – use various feedback techniques. This will be discussed in Section 3.7

Be open yourself to feedback –although this can be very hard to do, you might:

Accept openly what is said – don‟t get defensive

Modify what you do or say on the basis of the feedback given ––to you – for example, this might mean you speak slower, repeat a step, make the training room warmer, stop walking around the room and stand still when talking and don‟t use a training delivery technique they tell you they don‟t like

Where a request to change is unreasonable, talk it through and reach a compromise

Aim to generate autonomy where learners do their own thinking, self-reliance and initiative by using the following strategies:

Give learners time to think when you ask them a question – don‟t rush in and provide answers


102


Allow learners to make mistakes and create an environment where it‟s okay to do so. It‟s best if mistakes occur during training rather than in real-life customer contact situations

Challenge trainees to extend themselves and to think more deeply, rather than just achieve what has been set

Vary how you respond to learners‟ questions by employing these techniques:

Put the question back to them – „Good question! What do you think? Any ideas?‟

Give it to someone else – „Fair question, Dave. Chris, what do you think?‟

Give it to the group – „Okay, anyone want to have a go at that?‟

Refer them somewhere for an answer – „The policy manual has a bit to say on that. Read the section on Claims and Expenses, and then get back to me if you‟re still unsure.‟

Give hints, but not the answer – „If I said „think about what we said during the legal section‟, would that help?‟

Finally, you can always give the answer! But don‟t make a habit of giving the answer straightaway

Know when to be quiet– it is very distracting for learners when you keep talking (also known as „prattling on‟)

Know when to leave them alone to get on with it – don‟t spend excessive time on the demonstrations. Do them and allow learners to have a go

Realise there are likely to be heaps of emotions bubbling away, so be sensitive to them and alert for signs of their presence – learners may be worried about:

Looking foolish in a role-play

Failing in front of others when they do their demonstration

Making a mistake – and feeling angry about that mistake because it was done in front of someone senior or you as the trainer

Embarrassment at not being able to read – perhaps other staff don‟t know they can‟t read, but this can come to light during a training session where they are required to read something, especially where the training requires them to read out loud in front of the group

Having to give feedback, demonstrate something in front of others, or talk in public. Lots of learners are scared of doing anything in front of others even though their work role requires them to work with members of the public

Obtain equity in the session, by ensuring:

Equal use of resources among learners

Equal opportunities for learners to make contributions to the session

A special effort is made to encourage reluctant learners to participate

Dominant participants are not allowed to take over the session

Equal amounts of your time are spent with each trainee




Manage conflict within the learner group by observing these principles:

Don‟t ignore conflict

Plan before the session to cope with possible conflict – don‟t rely on being able to deal with the situation on the spot

Get to the cause and apply conflict resolution techniques – make sure you don‟t just deal with the symptoms of the conflict

Remember that in most conflict situations, compromise is the key – rarely will a win-lose outcome be satisfactory. Always look for a win-win situation or a position where both parties feel they have won and lost something in order to resolve the conflict.

Enhancement of learning

Enhancement of learning refers to many aspects of training.

In all cases, you are expected to make sure you cover the basics as set out in the established learning program and delivery plans, but there can be plenty of opportunities to go beyond these minimum requirements and add depth, breadth and additional context to the material. This is enhancing the learning.

It is often said that the difference between a good trainer and a bad trainer is the extent to which they can do this. In most cases, enhancing learning requires you to make an extra effort, spend extra time on the training and nearly always, there will be no extra recognition or remuneration for doing so.

Ways in which you can enhance the learning experience for individual learners sometimes means doing that „little bit extra‟ and sometimes it can mean doing what you know you should do.

Examples of what can constitute enhancement of learning include:

Genuinely catering for individual differences between learners – instead of delivering the same training to all learners regardless of who they are, or what their experience is

Spending time getting to know the individual learners – their background, their work roles, their aspirations about the job, their fears and their out-of-work lives

Encouraging the learners to ask questions and providing information and answers to those questions – as opposed to giving the impression that questions are not welcomed, and those who ask questions are regarded as unwanted interruptions

Recognising what the learners achieve – this can be one-on-one (or group-based) recognition of effort, achievement, contribution, attendance and attitude

Providing a physically comfortable and emotionally supportive learning environment

Providing extensions to the minimum required competencies for learners who demonstrate a desire to go further than just what the scheduled learning program dictates. This can include providing extra training to them yourself, or making arrangements or recommendations to management for them to attend external training


104


Mentioning learners who stand out during training to supervisors and management who are often eager to identify people who can be ear-marked for extra responsibilities, cross-training or promotion

Being prepared to meet with learners out-of-training – to provide extra tuition, to listen to their problems, and to encourage them when they feel anxious

Sharing your personal work-related experiences that demonstrate that you, too, have made mistakes in the past. No trainer should ever put themselves on a pedestal in terms of their work abilities. Telling anecdotes about the mistakes you have made is one good way of building rapport with learners and letting them know that everyone makes errors from time-to-time. As they say „The person who never made a mistake, never made anything‟.

Always finish on time

It is nearly always necessary to finish every training session on time, at the time you stated the training would finish. This is because staff may have to return to work at a given time to start serving customers, to relieve other staff, or simply to go home and live their private lives.

Your learners are expecting you to end the session when you told them it would finish. They may have made arrangements relying on your promise. If you regularly finish a session late this has the potential to negatively influence the learners who participate and de-motivate them.

Regardless of the responsibility or activity you need to perform as a trainer, always imagine yourself as the learner and always try to remember that they are not as competent as you, and try to help them to learn in a professional manner like you would like to follow yourself as a learner.

3.6 Provide opportunities for learners to practice

skills

Introduction

During all training and instruction sessions, staff must be given the opportunity to practise their new skills, and be encouraged to ask questions.

While the learner practises, you must watch to ensure they are doing it correctly.

Do not get lulled into thinking that once you have shown the learner what to do, the job is finished – far from it!

You should also provide further information. This information can be the „nice to know‟ information, or the „could know‟ information.

You should also be ready to demonstrate again a step where and when necessary.

The intention is that at the end of the training, the learner should have achieved the competency level required or, at least, be well on the way. They may then be given the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience by practising their skills during normal day-to-day operations, under supervision, where appropriate.




While they are practising, you must continue to monitor, encourage and praise.

Open questions should also be asked where and when appropriate.

Remember that some employees become embarrassed easily, so all feedback should be done in an appropriate location away from other staff members and members of the public.

Observing learner’s practise

When observing a learner attempting or practising their newly acquired skills, the following apply:

Effectively correct the learner whenever they take an incorrect step – corrective action needs to be immediate so that incorrect practices are not allowed to become habits

Ask questions to confirm the learner‟s knowledge – effective training will ensure staff not only know what to do, but why they are doing it

Ensure the learner is always in comfortable surroundings – this may mean adjusting lighting and/or air-conditioning, and taking action to eliminate distractions

Praise the learner when and where appropriate – be lavish in your praise, but ensure it is genuine and deserved

Encourage the learner as much as possible – learners may be anxious about the training, so create an environment of success

Listen to the learner‟s feedback and act on it – if the learner is unhappy or uncomfortable with some aspect of the training, do whatever you can to remedy the situation while still achieving the training objective

Ensure the learner‟s safety – be ready to intervene the moment safety is compromised.

In some situations, you may be required to liaise with other staff. This could be senior staff, staff you know are fully competent themselves or supervisors to set up extra workplace opportunities for learners to gain additional on-the-job practice.

3.7 Provide feedback to learners

Introduction

Feedback is very important when training. One of the aims of learning is to build confidence in learners as they attempt to understand new concepts, techniques and skills.

It is expected that learners will make mistakes as they learn and it is the role of the trainer to provide feedback which helps them to improve.

An important part of the facilitator‟s role is to provide feedback to candidates on various activities they perform during training. Most people are very keen to hear how they are “going” and the assessor needs to be able to do this in a truthful and professional manner. It is critical from a learning perspective as well that candidates receive this feedback in order to benefit from the trainer‟s input and be able to build on this in the future.


106


When providing feedback you should be clear about the areas to be covered (such as relevant performance criteria). The feedback should always be constructive but this doesn‟t mean shying away from the truth or explaining shortcomings.

What learners want to know

Learners often require feedback as a source of guidance as they try to grasp new activities. There are many pieces of information they will seek.

Learners will want to know:

How they are performing

What areas they are doing well

Which areas could be improved

Suggestions for improvement

How is their progress towards the training outcome.

As a trainer, you must provide feedback that will be helpful in learners achieving the training aims.

Providing constructive feedback

Keys to providing constructive feedback include:

Use active listening techniques – pay attention to what the learner is saying when they talk. Don‟t assume you know what they are going to say or how they are going to finish a sentence

Use positive body language when giving feedback – make sure the non-verbal communication mirrors the verbal feedback. You can‟t say nice things while the body language is sending negative signals. Where the messages from verbal and body language is contradictory, the person receiving the communication will always believe the body language

Paraphrase what learners say – to show you have listened and understood repeat back what they have said to you using different words

Acknowledge how learners feel as well as what they can or cannot demonstrate – share their joy when they succeed and share the disappointment when they don‟t

Give positive and constructive feedback as often as possible – it is your job to encourage the learner, not to destroy their belief that they can succeed

A good technique to use when giving feedback is the Kiss-Kick-Kiss approach. If for example you have to explain that a candidate is doing something incorrectly, rather than just focusing on that you would first comment on something they are doing well, then describe in specific terms what they are doing incorrectly, then finish up with a positive statement about how they can repeat the task and confirm your expectations for success. make sure you respect learner self-esteem – encourage them, don‟t put them down

Be honest, but be sensitive and tactful

Focus on the actions of the learner, not the person or their personality

Make feedback brief – if you take too long it may begin to sound false and contrived.




Out of session feedback

So far this section has focused on the need for trainers to provide ongoing feedback to learners throughout training sessions, and given some tips on how this might be successfully achieved.

Trainers may also be required to provide out-of-class feedback that to learners regarding their overall training progress, as opposed to their progress in relation to an individual training topic.

The basics of providing this type of feedback include:

Ensuring all learners are given this feedback – this is not something that should be reserved just for „special‟ learners

Scheduling the feedback and discussion sessions – so that you and each of the learners know well in advance when they are going to occur

Informing learners at the outset that these sessions will take place – and that they are seen as part of the total training process

Ensuring a quiet and private location is available for the session – the room should be set up in a manner that facilitates conversation and interaction. A couple of lounge-type chairs set up at an angle to each other is better than a confrontational style of two chairs facing each other at a table

Making sure that you, as the trainer, know what you want to share with the learner – you have to plan for these feedback sessions as much as you do for training sessions.

What can be covered at these sessions?

These sessions are an opportunity for both trainer and learner to share their thoughts – this means there should be a two-way flow of information.

The trainer might want to address issues such as:

Overall progress of the learner in attaining the requirements of a long-term learning program – such as:

sighting and providing comment on work that has to be completed as part of assessment

clarifying training objectives and assessment requirements

providing general and specific direction for work that has to be finalised

evaluating the progress of the individual learner against expected progress including developing strategies to make up lost time, if possible

Barriers to learning that are impacting on the individual – these may include:

interpersonal conflict between learners in the learning environment and the wider workplace

issues that the learner is having with you as a trainer – perhaps they are unhappy with your approach, training style, manner, attitude, or language used


108


Training-specific details such as when training sessions are conducted, the duration of sessions and the training venue

Any issues previously identified as being worthy of discussion at these sessions – these will be very individual in nature and commonly focus on the challenges faced by learners in completing or participating in training, difficulties faced in being able to achieve competency in prescribed tasks, issues that are occurring in their personal life that are negatively affecting their training

Opportunities for further engagement with training – this can include advising the learner about prospects for further courses either internally or externally. This may result from the aptitude shown by the learner, or their eagerness to continue learning

Counselling of the learner – in situations where a person‟s ongoing employment depends on their gaining certain skills, knowledge, or qualifications by a set time and they are failing to achieve this, your role may be to inform them of the position they are in. You must make them aware of the reality of their situation while at the same time remaining encouraging and supportive. The key is to offer practical assistance while at the same time leaving them under no illusion as to what will happen if they fail to achieve the outcomes that have been listed as mandatory for them

Behaviour in training sessions – where you find a learner is misbehaving during training sessions, it is important to approach this issue as soon as possible, but to do so tactfully without embarrassing them in front of others. You may elect to do this one-on-one with the learner immediately after the training session concerned, but you may want to think about the situation a bit more, plan what to say and use this feedback session as a chance to explain why their behaviour is unacceptable, how it must change and what will happen if it doesn‟t change. Again, there is a need to be supportive during this type of session.

Seek feedback from learners

The trainer should also ask for the learner‟s feedback on the training, and this feedback should be taken seriously and constructively.

Remember, everyone learns at a training session: just because you are the trainer doesn‟t mean that you can‟t learn, too. Especially about the way you deliver your training.

Where problems with the training are identified, every effort must be made to remove them from future training.

As a trainer, you must be alert to signs your training has not been effective. Performance problems or difficulties may be due to:

Shyness or lack of confidence

A breakdown in communication

Language or cultural barriers

Insufficient opportunity to practise

An inappropriate training and practice environment.




The above problems can traditionally be traced to one or more of the following causes:

Poor, insufficient or rushed preparation – remember that good training takes time and that the preparation prior to the training session is a major indicator of the success of the training

Time restraints – it is common for workplaces to place unrealistic expectations on trainers, asking them to do too much in too short a time: where you genuinely believe you are being allocated insufficient time, you must raise this with management, explain your concerns and negotiate extra hours

Communication barriers – including interruptions from outside sources

Uncomfortable surroundings

Inappropriate learning tools

Broken, dangerous or faulty equipment

Unmotivated learners – you will recall that a fundamental responsibility of trainers is to provide sufficient motivation for their learners: lots of learners attend training with no real motivation so it is up to you to generate it

Insufficient stock, or consumables, to allow the training session to be completed as intended – this is commonly a budgetary constraint and where it is a genuine issue you must once again negotiate extra funding from management

Poor levels of attendance – this may be due to poor motivation, or it can be due to the fact that supervisors will not release staff to attend training.

Following is a simple way to collect feedback from learners.


110


Training Feedback Form

Session: _____________________________________ Date: _______/_______/_______

Please tell us how you rate your training experience ranking in order 1 (below expectations) to 6 (exceeded expectations). Please feel free to add comments or suggestions. Thank you for your feedback.

Area Comments or suggestions

Relevance of the training to the company

1 2 3 4 5 6

Relevance of the training to your position

1 2 3 4 5 6

Relevance of the training to your career

1 2 3 4 5 6

Quality of the material presented

1 2 3 4 5 6

Trainer demonstrated good knowledge

1 2 3 4 5 6

Trainer developed good rapport with you

1 2 3 4 5 6

Were training objectives achieved?

1 2 3 4 5 6

Will the learning be of benefit to you In what ways?

1 2 3 4 5 6




Overall satisfaction with the training

1 2 3 4 5 6

Most useful part of the training:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Least useful part of the training:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Other comments or suggestions:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

By enabling learners to also provide feedback it enables learners to improve either their own training skills or to make the program content or delivery method more suitable and effective for other sessions.


112


Feedback with people other than learners

It is common for trainers to be required to give feedback to managers, owners, supervisors, other trainers/assessors and/or the Human Resources (HR) department.

The feedback with these people may cover:

Identification of learners who are showing themselves to be very committed, very competent, willing to learn and to have „the right attitude‟

Identification of learners who are not displaying the right attitude – these may be those who don‟t show up on time, who skip scheduled sessions, who don‟t get their work completed on time or who muck around during training

Explanation of where the money and resources allocated to training have gone

Identification of problems that have emerged as part of the training process – such as lack of resources, timing problems, difficulty in getting learners released from their normal duties to attend training

Identification of future training needs – perhaps based on requests from staff, changes to legislation, variations to workplace procedures, as a result of personal observation or on the basis of new business plans and directions that have been developed

Explanation of the results of training that has been undertaken to-date – this might include:

Quantifying the number of people who have been trained

Identifying and quantifying the competencies that staff can now demonstrate

Highlighting the benefits that the training has brought to the organisation, examples being:

Savings due to less waste and better use of resources

The flexibility to those drawing up rosters due to multi-skilling that is available

The extent to which staff training now meets imposed compliance requirements.

3.8 Ensure on-going safety of learners during

training delivery and practice

Introduction

You must ensure safety for learners during actual training, and you must stress it in all things you teach.

A lot of this has been mentioned in Section 2.5 when we discussed what training requirements need to be organised.

As mentioned, before the training, all equipment must be checked, repaired or replaced where necessary as learners should not be expected to learn or practise on potentially dangerous equipment.




Equipment safety

Equipment must:

Be stable

Be working properly

Have no loose connections

Have proper safety guards fitted

Have no frayed cords or faulty switches

Be regularly serviced

Be appropriate for the training task at hand

Be representative of what the learner will be expected to use in the workplace once they have successfully completed their training.

Learner safety

Be on the lookout for learners who arrive at a training session in no fit condition to operate equipment. Because learners are attending a training class, as opposed to performing work, there is always a possibility they may turn up hung-over, drunk, affected by drugs, extremely tired, or emotional.

Where trainees are so affected, they must be excluded from the training. Rules should be laid down at the first session and strictly adhered to. Once you ban a learner from a session because they are drunk, for example, it sends a very clear message to the rest of the group that you will not tolerate people attending in such a state.

Ensure the trainees‟ physical stature enables them to perform the task safely. Are they too short, too tall, or excessively overweight? If this is the case, some adaptation to existing practice, equipment, or layout may be required.

The environment must also be conducive to safety. Floors should not be wet or slippery, the lighting must be sufficient but not blinding, and the temperature should be comfortable.

Safety equipment

You also have a responsibility for ensuring all necessary safety and first aid equipment is on hand. It is preferable for trainers to have basic first aid training as well as phone access for further medical assistance.

You may require the following:

Fire extinguishers or fire blankets

Knowledge about location and operation of shut off switches – power, water, gas, steam, LPG

Gloves, aprons, facemasks and protective goggles

Appropriate small equipment, thermometers

First aid kit

Knowledge of store emergency procedures.


114


Learners are briefed on any occupational health and safety (OHS) procedures and requirements prior to and during training

OHS is a big issue in all workplaces today and the structure of these notes and the regular reference to OHS should help underscore its importance.

As we have said, in a training situation, you must address OHS from two distinct viewpoints:

You must guarantee the safety of all learners involved in training

You must make sure your training content delivery covers all the relevant OHS issues for the topic concerned.

Involvement of OHS experts

If you are not 100% sure of all the OHS issues that apply to establishing a safe training environment, or which apply to the knowledge and technical aspects of the workplace training content that must be covered/delivered you should:

Involve your designated workplace OHS representative – and obtain information from them about what needs to be addressed: it is perfectly acceptable. If they are willing, to involve them by getting them to deliver the OHS component of the training content

Involve your local safety officials – ask them to visit the workplace to provide relevant information for you to act on, and to pass on to learners. It is standard operating procedure in most businesses that you seek management approval before contacting such external authorities. It is also acceptable to ask them to participate in training delivery b acting as a specialist guest speaker.

Since training sessions are often the first time a learner will be attempting a new task, there is more likelihood that accidents may happen.

As a trainer you must prepare for these as much as possible and have safety on the minds of all people in the training session at all times.




Work Projects


3.1 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to confirm attendance of learners at the training session including:


Methods to follow up.

3.2 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how prepare the training venue for the training session

3.3 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to introduce training topic to learners including:

Welcome

How to generate interest


Outcomes for the training.

3.4 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to explain the training and assessment activities involved in the training session including:


Summary of assessment activities.

3.5 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to present a training session including:

Role of leadership

Types of training styles


Training techniques

How to communicate with learners

Providing support.

3.6 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to provide opportunities for learners to practice skills

3.7 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to provide feedback to learners


116


3.8 To fulfil the requirements of this Work Project you are asked to identify how to ensure on-going safety of learners during training delivery and practice including:

Equipment safety

Learner safety

Safety equipment.




Summary

Deliver training sessions

Confirm attendance of learners at the training session:


Methods to follow up.

Prepare the training venue for the training session:

Preparation activities.

Introduce training topic to learners:

Welcome

Generate interest


Outcomes for the training.

Explain the training and assessment activities involved in the training session:


Summary of assessment activities.

Present training session:

Leadership

Training styles


Training techniques

Communicating with learners

Pace

Making quick decisions

Providing support

Enhancement of learning

Always finish on time.

Provide opportunities for learners to practice skills:

Observing learner‟s practise.

Provide feedback to learners:

What learners want to know

Providing constructive feedback

Out of session feedback

Seek feedback from learners

Feedback with people other than learners.

Ensure on-going safety of learners during training delivery and practice:

Equipment safety

Learner safety

Safety equipment

Involvement of OHS experts.


118


Presentation of written work




1. Introduction

It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work. Written presentation in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to the workplace.

2. Style

Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be well organized. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to keep „on track‟. Teachers recognize and are critical of work that does not answer the question, or is „padded‟ with irrelevant material. In summary, remember to:

Plan ahead

Be clear and concise

Answer the question

Proofread the final draft.

3. Presenting Written Work

Types of written work

Students may be asked to write:

Short and long reports

Essays

Records of interviews

Questionnaires

Business letters

Resumes.

Format

All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and sequential system of numbering.


120


Cover Sheet

All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:

The student‟s name and student number

The name of the class/unit

The due date of the work

The title of the work

The teacher‟s name

A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.

Keeping a Copy

Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.

Inclusive language

This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a student were to write „A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times‟ it would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses.

Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:

Mankind Humankind

Barman/maid Bar attendant

Host/hostess Host

Waiter/waitress Waiter or waiting staff

Recommended reading



Recommended reading

Brown, Douglas Robert & Arduser, Lora; 2005 (1st edition); The Encyclopedia Of Restaurant Training: A Complete Ready-to-Use Training Program for All Positions in the Food Service Industry; Atlantic Publishing Group

Cannon, Debra; 2002 (1st edition); Training and Development for the Hospitality Industry; American Hotel & Motel Association

Dunn, D. M.& Goodnight, L.J., 2011(3rd edition); Communication: embracing difference; Allyn & Bacon, Boston.

Ford, Robert; 1999 (1st edition); Managing the Guest Experience in Hospitality; Delmar Cengage Learning

Ford, Robert C, Sturman, Michael C, Heaton, Cherrill P; 2011 (1st edition); Managing Quality Service In Hospitality: How Organizations Achieve Excellence In The Guest Experience; Delmar Cengage Learning

Gillen, Terry; 2001 (Lslf edition); The Performance Management Activity Pack: Tools for Building Appraisal and Performance Development Skills; AMACOM

Holloway C, Davidson R, Humphreys C, 2009(8th Edition); The Business of Tourism; Pearson Education

Jazsay, Christine; 2003 (1st edition); Training Design Guide for the Hospitality Industry; Delmar Cengage Learning

Johnston, R & Clark G, 2008 (3rd Edition); Service Operations Management; Pearson Education

Kusluvan Salih 2003; Managing employee attitudes and behaviours in the tourism and hospitality; Nove Science Publishers, New York

Lashley, Conrad, Morrison, Alison; 2001 (1st edition); In Search of Hospitality (Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism); Butterworth-Heinemann

Martin, William B: 2001 (1st edition); Quality Service: What Every Hospitality Manager Needs to Know; Prentice Hall

Maxwell J, 2001; The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork: Embrace Them and Empower Your Team; Maxwell Motivation, USA

O'Fallon, Michael J.; 2010 (5th edition); Hotel Management and Operations; Wiley

Sturman, Michael C; 2011 (1st edition); The Cornell School of Hotel Administration on Hospitality: Cutting Edge Thinking and Practice; Wiley

Walker, J, 2009, (36th edition); Supervision in the Hospitality Industry: Leading Human Resources; University of South Florida

Zeithaml, Valarie A; 2009 (1st edition); Delivering Quality Service; Free Press

http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/bookshop/Results.asp?iCurPage=1&Type=1&Author=Robert+Johnston&Download=1&SearchTerm=Robert+Johnston

http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/bookshop/Results.asp?iCurPage=1&Type=1&Author=+Graham+Clark&Download=1&SearchTerm=+Graham+Clark

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&ie=UTF8&field-author=Conrad%20Lashley

D1.HRD.CL9.04 D1.HHR.CL8.04 Trainee Manual

Documents

Transcript of D1.HRD.CL9.04 D1.HHR.CL8.04 Trainee Manual