In the fast-paced world of technical trades, keeping technicians updated with the latest industry knowledge and skills is crucial for business success. However, finding time for training remains a perpetual challenge, whether in a busy season or not. Microlearning, a strategy that breaks complex topics down into 10 to 15 minute, short-form, stand-alone units of study, is revolutionizing the way teams approach technical training and skill development.
Your Training Culture: The Key to Employee Recruitment and Retention
In a recent podcast by Contractor Cents, Interplay Learning’s experienced Market Directors, Ken Midgett and Dan Clapper discuss the importance of fostering a training culture within organizations. A robust training culture not only helps you recruit top talent, but it also plays a pivotal role in retaining your workforce. Through microlearning, you can provide your workforce with continuous opportunities for development that fit seamlessly into your employees’ schedules and keep them engaged throughout their careers.
Even when summer hits, and schedules become busier, training does not need to fall by the wayside. Technicians are professionals, no matter the trade. So just like professional athletes who continue to train during their busy seasons, technicians should be doing the same. Allocating just 10-15 minutes a day to learn and apply new information establishes a consistent learning pattern that leads to continuous growth.
Online, On-Demand Training Based On Learning Preference
The labor market for skilled technicians is often small and limited, making it imperative for businesses to build in-house training solutions. Online, on-demand training allows technicians to access materials anytime, anywhere, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Embracing microlearning aligns with the learning preferences of millennials and engages them even further when the training exists in virtual reality (VR) environments.
Incorporating Microlearning Seamlessly into Your Training Landscape
Microlearning is a versatile strategy that can effortlessly align with your existing training practices. Here are some areas where it may fit into your current landscape:
- Spot Training: Immediate Application of Knowledge
Microlearning lends itself to spot training, where concise training segments can be directly applied to real-world situations that your technicians may have experienced just the day before. They can immediately put their newly acquired knowledge to use, enhancing job performance and problem-solving capabilities.
- Remediation Training: Learning from Mistakes
Mistakes are part of any learning process. Microlearning supports remediation training, where quick 10-minute sessions can be delivered right after an error occurs. This method ensures that the lesson is learned, retained, and practically applied when these issues occur in the future. - Integrating Safety in Ongoing Training
Microlearning doesn’t just focus on technical skills; it also emphasizes the importance of continuous safety training. Even during the busiest seasons, dedicating a short time each week to company-wide training ensures that safety remains a top priority.
Growing Opportunities for Both Businesses and Technicians
Incorporating microlearning into technical trades training doesn’t just benefit employees; it’s also an opportunity for you to enhance productivity and achieve revenue faster. By enabling technicians to develop their skills anywhere, and anytime, you can retain top talent and have the confidence that your customers will be satisfied.
As the demands of this fast-paced environment continue to evolve, embracing microlearning can be a game-changer in creating a skilled and agile workforce. Successful integration into your training culture requires a partner who understands your industry’s unique demands. Interplay Learning empowers you to seamlessly infuse microlearning into your training culture, offering concise and immersive learning experiences. With Interplay Learning, you can quickly create, maintain, and manage a skilled and adaptable workforce.
