How to Teach Technicians…

I was asked this question from a company president the other day…

President
Our technicians do everything from changing molds and materials handling to parts testing and troubleshooting  How can we train someone to do this type of job?
My Response
It is true that it is impossible to teach someone all that all at once, but an employee can learn all this over time. The best way to approach this is to break up the instruction by responsibility. Let the person learn a specific aspect of their job sufficiently before moving on to the next function. For example, have then learn how to inspect the parts and become proficient in that role before teaching the job function. If you make each steps in the progression clear and defined, it can give the employee a sense of accomplishment as well as an understanding as to where they are in the development process.
Additional Thoughts
Many companies create interim job functions such as an apprentice or technician level 1, 2, and 3 to differentiate a trainee from a full-fledged technician.
-Andy

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