For Your Staff - Tourism North East

Different Ways to Train Your Staff

An induction process

Every business, no matter how small, should have an induction process - a way of introducing a new employee to the business and vice versa. But many businesses overlook the value of an induction process - and don't even recognise it as training. Yet it is an excellent way to set the tone, so that a new employee, from day one, is working in the right style for your business, with the right approach to their work. It is also invaluable in avoiding misunderstandings with discipline, sickness and leave, by clearly setting out the rules and procedures at the onset. See our Induction Process pages for more information.

In-house training

In-house training is where you and your staff set up a program to develop specific skills, knowledge or routines for your employees. The training is organised, managed and delivered by you and your staff in a formal or informal way. It can be highly specialised to your business, eg a hotel training session that shows employees how to clean and refresh rooms to the right standards, or generic, such as showing staff how to use phone systems or IT systems.

In-house training is a very cost-effective way to deliver really tailored training for your business. However, to work successfully it has to be properly structured and delivered. Click here for more about in-house training and tips on setting up sessions that really work.

On-the-job training

Again, many employers overlook this, but it can be an extremely effective and low-cost option for bringing on individuals or small groups of staff.

On-the-job training means regularly making time with individuals to build skills, knowledge and approach, whilst actually doing the job. It usually means pairing staff with more experienced or capable individuals as mentors who show them best practice, raise their standards and support them in areas where they feel weak. To be successful it needs to be properly structured, with clear boundaries and targets. Click here for more about setting up successful on-the-job training.

Training providers in your workplace

Getting training providers to deliver training in your workplace has many advantages:

staff train as a group, good for morale and consistency
no time is lost travelling
the training material is completely geared to your needs and your business
it can be the cheapest way to train a number of staff, rather than paying per staff member for external courses

The key to making this type of training work is understanding exactly what your aims are. What do you want staff to be able to do (or know) that they didn't before, and what is the ultimate benefit to your business? For example you might want to generate more sales by training your staff to 'sell' better in person and over the phone. Or you might want to win and retain more customers by providing better customer care. Setting the objectives, finding the right provider and sharing the objectives clearly with them is essential. Click here for more about training providers in your work place.

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are work related, hands-on qualifications that can be gained through work-based learning, attendance at college or through private study. There are different levels ranging from entry level, to Level 2 (equivalent to GCSEs), Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels) and Levels 4 and 5 (equivalent to degree/masters level). NVQs do not require any entry qualifications, are flexible and available for almost all occupations. They do not revolve around formal learning, tests or exams. You work at your own pace and an assessor regularly meets with you in your workplace to review your progress, suggest methods of improvement and to assess your competency at relevant tasks. When you can demonstrate your ability in an area, you are credited for that module and move on to the next task. See the NVQ pages for more.

Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships

Taking on a young and inexperienced member of staff without qualifications, and training them to become a confident, competent employee can be a daunting process. Apprenticeships, and the next level Advanced Apprenticeships, are a way to do exactly this. From day one the young person (aged 16 - 24) learns skills and a trade whilst working. An apprentice is a paid employee, but through a mixture of work-based learning, day release to college and structured tasks the learner works towards recognised qualifications including NVQs, Key Skills and Certificates of Learning. The Learning Skills Council organises and funds apprenticeships through approved learning providers. There are over 180 different apprenticeships across 80 sectors.
See here for more about Apprenticeships.

Distance and e-learning

Distance and e-learning has really taken off in the last few years. Implemented well, it can be a very cost effective way to train single or multiple employees. There are lots of advantages:

staff can learn online or from a CD or downloaded course, or from text-books and paper
staff can learn with or without the support of tutors by phone, email or sometimes in-person
learners can work at a pace that suits them,
staff from multiple locations or different shifts can follow the same course
you can usually track a learner's progress online
courses can be low-cost, or even free

It is also possible to cost-effectively create your own e-learning courses for your business using easy-to-use software that's as simple as using Powerpoint. Click here for more about distance and e-learning.

Higher Education Through Work

Staff who would like to gain degree level qualifications don't have to leave work to do so.

Higher Education through Work is an initiative that ten universities - two in the North East - have made available exactly to enable employed or self-employed people to gain higher education qualifications from major universities. The programme works in a similar way to NVQs, by providing a flexible, modular framework that allows the learner to pick and mix the subject areas to study in order to make up the most appropriate degree for their needs.

Learners study online - with the support of a tutor through email and phone - and if they wish, they can attend seminars or occasional tutorials, though these, if offered at all, are generally optional. All the evidence for the learner's degree comes from real work situations, which they document into a portfolio and submit online. There are no final tests or exams.

Costs are the same or better than ordinary degrees, and it is possible to pay for as little as one 20 credit module at a time (360 credits are needed for a full degree). There's no travelling time, many of the regular seminars and course materials available to full-time students can be accessed online and, best of all, learners can start applying what they learn to your business straightaway.
Find out more about Higher Education Through Work.

For more information or to take the next steps:

Talk to your Tourism Skills Broker (or, for a non tourism-specialist, contact the general Train to Gain service at www.traintogain.gov.uk or on 0800 015 55 45) if you want to find out more about:

how to identify your training needs
what your options are
how to choose a course or provider
what funding for training may be available

Alternatively browse courses and training providers at:

Training & Skills