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Structured On-the-Job-Training (OJT) Development

What is OJT?

When you ask that question, you will receive many different answers. For some, “on-the-job-training” means a total lack of a formal training program. The term often refers to a trial-by-fire method of job training where people are forced to learn a job on their own, receiving guidance only when they make a mistake. For others, OJT is a training method where experienced employees take new employees under their wing, instructing and coaching them on how to perform their job, giving them the benefit of years of experience.

Traditional unstructured OJT training methods have some advantages and disadvantages as described below:

Advantages:

  • Low cost – does not require the development of potentially expensive training materials or classroom/computer-based instruction.
  • Task-based – Since OJT is performed at the work area, training tends to be focused on performing real job tasks.
  • Well suited for small groups – OJT is often the most practical training method when you only need to train one or two employees at a time.

Disadvantages:

  • Inconsistent – Traditional OJT relies heavily on an experienced employee to provide the instruction based on what they feel are the most important topics. What is important to one employee may not be important to another. The result is what is learned may vary greatly, depending on who is assigned as the trainer.
  • Incomplete – Without a structured lesson guide, OJT trainers often forget to cover important information. What is learned is likely to be based on what happened that day rather than on what a new employee needs to know to be safe and productive.
  • Lack of founding principles – While the hands-on aspect of OJT may appeal to the practical learner, often the underlying theories of operation are not covered in sufficient detail or accuracy. Without this foundation of knowledge, trainees often learn what to do, not why they are doing it, resulting in poor decision making when things don’t go exactly right.
  • Bad habits – The trainee observes and may adopt the trainer’s habits and attitudes about all aspects of the job including safety, quality, customer service, and relationship with management. Poorly selected trainers can have many unintended consequences.

 What is a Structured OJT Program?

To overcome disadvantages of traditional OJT programs while maintaining the advantages, APS recommends using a structured approach to OJT. A good Structured OJT Program consists of four main components:

  • The Roadmap
  • The OJT Lesson Guides
  • Job Performance Measure (JPM)
  • Supporting Documentation

The Roadmap

An OJT roadmap is a detailed flowchart that breaks down the training process into defined units or modules that will need to be completed for a specific job or position. Breaking the OJT process down into bite-sized pieces allows the training to be accomplished over a period of time within a practical timeframe.

Each module on the roadmap represents a lesson with defined objectives along with the delivery mode and the estimated duration. The roadmap also shows a path of progression or a logical order for completing the individual lessons. View a typical OJT Training Roadmap.

The OJT Lesson Guides

For each module in the roadmap, a lesson guide is provided. The OJT lesson guide outlines the objectives to be completed and contains a step-by-step listing or checklist of the activities to be performed during that lesson and the optimum order of completion. Having a defined checklist ensures that all of the pertinent topics are covered instead of relying on the memory of the OJT instructor. And it allows the trainee to be an active participant in the training by asking questions when everything is not getting covered.

Typical activities may include:

  • Trainer and trainee review the supporting document(s)
  • Trainer explains the theory of operation to the trainee
  • Trainer demonstrates proper performance of a task
  • Trainee performs the task with assistance from the trainer
  • Trainee performs the task while the trainer observes and coaches

This process is ideal for tasks that can be performed repeatedly. However, for infrequently performed or emergency tasks that seldom occur, the process must be modified.

In addition, the lesson guide provides a listing of supporting documentation for the lesson. These supporting documents will serve a reference for the lesson, providing information that supplements and amplifies the knowledge of the OJT instructor.

Job Performance Measure

What about testing? This is accomplished by the Job Performance Measure (JPM). The JPM is the practical “test” portion of the OJT lesson and provides a checklist of the tasks that must be performed and the standards to which they must be performed.

During performance of the JPM, the trainee performs the designated tasks under observation of but without the assistance of the trainer. Upon successful completion of the JPM, both trainer and trainee sign and initial for each task. The completed JPM document may serve as an official record of training.

Supporting Documentation

As mentioned above, the lesson guide lists supporting documentation required for the lesson. A key part of the OJT development process involves identifying which documents should be used to support the OJT lesson. Where possible, existing documents should be used, and may consist of:

  • Existing work instructions
  • Safety instructions
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Preventive maintenance (PM) procedures
  • Checklists and job aids
  • Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)
  • Federal, state, or local regulations and manuals
  • Equipment technical manuals
  • Training manuals
  • Vendor documents
  • Safety instructions

In some cases, new supporting documents may need to be developed that will provide the baseline information needed to conduct effective OJT.

What about the Trainers?

The roadmap, OJT lesson guides and supporting documentation provide the structure, but the overall effectiveness of an OJT program still relies on the OJT instructors to provide the transfer of knowledge. To ensure maximum effectiveness of your OJT program, trainers should be selected based on their knowledge of the job and their willingness to share that knowledge with others. The employer should also consider the employee’s attitude about key company policies like safety, quality, and customer service. All persons who are designated as trainers should receive instruction in the proper use of the OJT documents. In addition APS recommends conducting training for OJT instructors in the principles of adult learning.

How Can APS Help?

APS can assist your organization in all phases of creation and execution of a structured OJT program. For some of our clients, we provide complete OJT program development services including job task analysis and development of the OJT roadmap, lesson guides (including JPMs) and even the supporting documentation where required. For other clients, we may perform only a specific portion of these services, as much or little as required to meet our clients’ needs.

APS can help you develop on-the-job training documents and we can train your employees to be effective on-the-job trainers. For more information, email us at info@aps-online.net or call Greg Pancerev at 610-987-4054

 
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