Struggling to recruit competent staff?
According to an ECITB report in January 2018, 19.5% of UK engineers will have retired by 2026. In the same period, 17.9% of technicians will also retire. The current skills shortage is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
What can you do to retain some of these skills?
You could train some of your experienced engineers and technicians to be trainers to enable them to pass on their skills in a structured, progressive manner and build up evidence of competency in the developing workforce.
They could teach technicians complex tasks or technical operators to carry out high-frequency, low-risk maintenance tasks. The trained tasks can be either generic or very specialised.
‘Michelle is the only one who can calibrate that widget’
If there’s a business need, why not train Michelle to train a host of other staff to calibrate that widget.
The process might be:
Identify tasks and vocationally competent trainer
Write method statement and carry out a risk assessment
Write assessment criteria
Carry out training
Facilitate practice for the trainee
Carry out assessment multiple times
Sign off and carry out the tasks in the workplace
Review after an agreed period
Invest in your assets
The train the trainer course is an investment in your business and an investment in your employees. It will improve the productivity of your company and improve the productivity of UK plc.
According to a review of vacancies at CV-library.com in January 2022 the following gaps were found:
Could a programme of multi-skilling followed by on-job coaching and assessment close skills gaps in your business? Do the apprentices in your business need more support than they are currently getting?
City & Guilds anyone?
We offer a City & Guilds Accredited course and also the City & Guilds 6318 when a more robust qualification is required (like in the railway industry).
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Teach one of your staff to train and they can develop the skills of hundreds of staff. For more information please contact us on 0121 506 9030 or training@mcpeurope.com.