Development and Implementation of Facility Maintenance Technicians' On-the-Job (OJT) Training Guide

1. Development and Implementation of Facility Maintenance Technicians’ On-the-Job (OJT) Training GuideGunna (Janet) Yun, Ph. DFebruary 27, 2018

2. Overview • The Classical Training System • Needs assessment through transfer of learning • Training Project: On the job training guide, SHA in Hanover, MD • Limitations and Future Directions

3. The Classical Training System

4. The Classical Training System (Pre-training environment) • Needs assessment • Training objectives • Selection and design of training programs • Theories of learning • Training methods • Conducting a training program • Training evaluation • Validity of a Training Program (Post-training environment)

5. Pre-training Environment • Events that take place prior to training can influence the effectiveness of training • Managerial Support • Socialization by other employees • Beneficial factors: • Supportive supervisors • Expectations of follow-up or transfer • Trainee input and choice • Detrimental factors • Job limitations (lack of time, equipment, and resources) • Unsupportive supervisor and co-workers • SHA’s case

6. 1. Assessing Training Needs • Must first determine “What is the goal of training; What do we hope to achieve by training?” • Needs Assessment • An analysis of corporate and individual goals undertaken before designing a training program • Helps inform what knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed for success but deficient in the organization • Strangely enough, many organizations do not even do this! • Cost and time probably influence this • Three levels of assessment • Organization, Task, and Person

7. Organizational Analysis • Examines system-wide factors that facilitate or impede the transfer of skills from training to the job. • Asks the question: “Will the training produce behavior that will transfer to the organization.” • What are the goals and needs of the organization? • What type of resources are available in the organization? • What is the climate? Is it supportive of the training program?

8. Task Analysis • Direct training toward enhancing those KSAs that are critical to job performance. • Four major steps • Development of Task Statements: Understand work performed, how performed and purpose • Development of Task Clusters: Homogenous groupings to be more usable/manageable: SME’s sort them into meaningful categories • Development of KSA’s relevant to tasks: SME’s are asked questions to determine KSA’s • Development of Training Programs from the KSA – Task Links

9. Task & KSA development

10. Person Analysis Helps determine which individuals need retraining!

11. SHA’s case: Task Analysis  Six task clusters 1. OJTFMT01 – Litter, Debris, Animal Removal 2. OJTFMT02 – Mowing (tractor, boom-axe, hand) 3. OJTFMT03 – Sign Maintenance and Traffic Control 4. OJTFMT04 – Pavement Patching (Potholes) 5. OJTFMT05 – Brush & Tree Cutting 6. OJTFMT06A&B – Drainage Maintenance (Ditching and Repairing)

12. SHA’s case: Procedure • Collect and review all relevant information (job analysis, career handbook, training materials, etc.) • Interview with SMEs, and relevant stakeholders • Maintenance Training Committee • Resident Maintenance Engineer Association • Statewide Maintenance Council • Office of Maintenance • Attend bi-weekly committee meetings and seek for feedback from committee members

13. 2. Create Training Objectives • Create concrete training objectives - determine specific goals of training program. • SHA’s example Task Cluster 1 (OJTFMT01) : Litter, Debris, Animal Removal • Clear debris / remove loose material from roadway and report major damage • Dispose of litter and debris at designated dumping area • Dispose of dead animals at designated area • Remove signs and other safety devices

14. 3. Selection & Design of Training Programs • Review training theories on how people learn, and various methods, and then develop a specific training program that meets needs assessment and to achieve training objectives • Considerations in designing effective training Programs • Adequate space, facilities, training materials/visuals, etc. • Seat arrangements

15. Theories: How People Learn • Learning: The process of encoding, retaining, and using information • Skill acquisition occurs in three stages: • Declarative knowledge stage: knowledge about facts and things; a basic understanding of the task. • Knowledge compilation: individuals integrate the sequences of cognitive and motor processes required to perform the task • Procedural knowledge: knowledge about how to perform various cognitive activities. • Example: Driving a Car • SHA’s case

16. Theories: How People Learn • Massed vs. distributed practice: In massed practice, training is given all at once. In distributed practice, training is spread out. • Massed practice leads to better short-term performance. • Distributed practice leads to better long-term performance. Allows you to integrate the material into existing knowledge. Leads to greater retention. • Example: One group of truck drivers participates in a one-day, eight hour training session. Another set of drivers participates in a four-day, two hour a day training session. • SHA’s case

17. Training Methods: Overview • Identical elements - The responses in training situation are identical to those in the job situation. In other words, the training situation mimics the actual job. • Advantage: If the job is relatively stable, this is an effective and efficient way of giving individuals the skills they need. • Disadvantage: If the job changes, the individual may not have the general skills needed to adapt. They may only have a very specific set of skills.

18. Training Methods: Overview • Modeling - Learning occurs by watching someone perform the target actions. • Advantages: May be easy to learn by observation than through formal instruction. May also provide a more accurate representation of the job than books, manuals, or other types of instruction. For example, learn how the job is “really” done and things like shortcuts and tips. • Disadvantages: may learn bad habits. Since instruction is not hands-on, there is the risk of poor skill acquisition. The person observing really needs to pay close attention. Knowing how to do something is not the same as actually doing it.

19. Training Methods: Overview • Overlearning - practice should continue past the point where no additional gains are made. • Advantage: Good method for producing low error performance. If done properly, the individual should be able to consistently perform the task correctly. • Disadvantage - Time consuming. Not efficient. Boring. May produce routines and habits that will be difficult to break out of should the situation or job change. • Example, pilots repeatedly practice take-offs and landings beyond the point at which they can execute the maneuvers perfectly. • Example, have an employee practice reciting the restaurants beer selection past the point at which they do it perfectly.

20. Training Methods: On-site • On-the-job training (SHA’s case)- employees are trained at the actual job location. New employees observe the work and then try to imitate. • Advantages: Realistic and accurate training. Transfer is good. Easy to administer. Employee is working right away. • Disadvantages: Often brief and poorly structured. May interrupt the work of other employees doing the training. Often poor evaluation. • Job Rotation - workers rotate through a variety of jobs. • Advantages: Allows for flexibility. Creates task variety. Good for training teams. • Disadvantages: Pay may differ if based on piece-rate or commission. At odds with the strategy of matching employee skills and jobs. Workers must be motivated to learn new jobs.

21. Training Methods: On-site • Apprentice Training - A new worker is “tutored” by an established worker over a long period of time. Often used in plumbing, carpentry, and electrical trades. • Advantages: training is intense and lengthy. Also, it is typically conducted on a one-to-one basis. • Disadvantages: length of training is predetermined by trade association, can’t be changed to accommodate fast learners.

22. Training Methods: Off-site • Lectures • Audiovisual Material • Conferences • Several different platforms • Company’s network • CD-ROMS • Web-based training • Simulations • virtual reality training; navy simulations

23. 4. Administration of training programs • A single or multiple programs can be administered • SHA’s case

26. 5. Training Evaluation • Training effectiveness refers to the benefits that the company and the trainees experience as a result of training. Benefits for the trainees include learning new knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Potential benefits for the company include increased sales, improved quality and more satisfied customers. • Training outcomes or criteria refer to measures that the trainer and the company use to evaluate training programs. • Training evaluation refers to the process of collecting data regarding outcomes needed to determine if training objectives were met.

27. Reasons training programs should be evaluated 1. To identify the program’s strengths and weaknesses, including whether the program is meeting the learning objectives, the quality of the learning environment, and if transfer of training back to the job is occurring. 2. To assess whether the various features of the training context and content contribute to learning and the transfer of learning back to the job. 3. To identify which trainees benefited most of least from the program and why. 4. To gather information, such as trainees’ testimonials, to use for marketing training programs. 5. To determine financial benefits and costs of the program. 6. To compare the costs and benefits of training versus other human resource investments. 7. To compare the costs and benefits of various training programs in order to choose the most effective programs.

28. Outcomes Used in Evaluating Training Programs • Kirkpatrick’s four-level model (1976) 1. Reactions level, which focuses on trainee satisfaction. 2. Learning level, which focuses on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and/or behaviors. 3. Behavior level, which focuses on improvement in job performance or behaviors. 4. Results level, which focuses on whether desired business results were achieved as a result of the training. a. Levels 1 and 2 measures are collected before trainees return to their jobs. b. Levels 3 and 4 criteria measure the extent to which the training transfers back to the job.

29. Outcomes Used in Evaluating Training Programs • Kraiger, Ford, & Salas (1993) • Behavioral outcomes - actual changes in job behavior. • Example, three months after training it is found that employees who went through training produce a greater number of parts, have a lower defect rate, and are involved in significantly fewer workplace accidents. • Cognitive outcomes - Change in job knowledge. • Example, commercial pilots are required to participate in a special training program on windshear and how to counteract it. Following the training program, the pilot take a test that asks them several questions designed to assess their knowledge of windshear, its causes, and proper flight procedures when windshear is encountered.

30. Outcomes Used in Evaluating Training Programs • More comprehensive models of training criteria, incorporating such training outcomes as attitudes, motivation and return on investment, are needed. • Training outcomes are classified into five major categories • Cognitive • Skill-based • Affective • Results • Return on Investment

32. How can we measure these outcomes?

33. 6. Validity of a Training Program • Training Validity (=training evaluation) • Did trainees master the training material? Were the objectives met. • Deals mostly with cognitive outcomes. • Transfer Validity • Did trainees apply what they learned. • Deals mostly with behavioral outcomes and results criteria.

34. Transfer of Training • refers to trainees effectively and continually applying what they learned in training (knowledge, skills, behaviors, and cognitive strategies) to their jobs. • Generalization: The extent to which individuals apply what they learned in training back on the job. • Maintenance: deals with how long trainees apply what they have learned back on the job. • Numerous factors influence transfer • Managerial support. • Opportunities to apply what has been learned.

35. Post-training Environment • What else can we do to increase transfer? • Design effective training: • Identical elements (relevant training) • Variety in training • Give employees a variety of skills that they can apply to a number of different situations in their jobs. • Give employees the skills needed to adapt to similar, but new, situations. • Relapse prevention training • Identify potential problems in application and brainstorm how to deal with them. Identify “high risk” situations and what to do if the situation arises. (similar to developing a Situational Judgement Test) • Booster-sessions • Periodically give a short refresher session to keep the skills fresh and the training principles salient.

36. The Final Report • Problems with the current on-the-job training • Purposes of developing a structured OJT guide • Provide a list of maintenance activities, learning activities, & outcomes • Assist learners and their supervisors/Team leaders to gain KSAs • Used as a workbook & communication tool • Relevant stakeholders and their roles • Components of a structured OJT Guide • A checklist of the six OJT training modules • Six OJT training modules • Distribution and implementation of a structured OJT Guide

37. Limitations and Future Directions • Limitations • Little attention to evaluation of training outcomes • Little attention to transfer of learning • Future Directions • Develop a way to evaluate training effectiveness and transfer of training • Use high technology tools (e.g., iPad, smart phone, etc.) to record training information on the intranet/Database.