Significance Of Training Global Manufacturing Workforce Online

With the rapid adoption of latest technologies led by the emerging use of tablets and smartphones has resulted in more efficient online consumer base. Digital disruption has driven a major change in the manufacturing industry.

Companies have started investing on the deployment of modern Learning Management Systems to develop courses that meet the changing needs of modern learners. Therefore, workplace training is essential for this sector as companies need to invest once, but can access courses at their own pace of time and location.

Developing the Future Workforce

In today’s digital era, it is crucial to reinforce learning experiences by delivering quality-proven e-learning solutions and boost product quality by augmenting employee knowledge. Manufacturers face an arduous challenge of attracting a next generation workforce while preserving the knowledge and experience of the existing ones. Companies value employees who have long-term industry experience and have the potential to identify machinery related problems. With machines becoming more connected to the sites, there is a need to hire well-trained workforce. Companies must incorporate continuous learning experience to provide on-the-job training for the new hires as well as existing workforce.

Hiring employees for factory work is daunting, so most manufacturing companies are bothered about their current workforce’s ability to cater to diversified needs. To keep up the good work, they should be innovative-thinkers, decision-makers and problem-solvers. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education is a crucial aspect for innovation in the manufacturing industry. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, growth rate of STEM will outpace total job growth to double by the year 2018. To meet the evolving demands, companies should seek help of educators to design courses that can be accessed via robust learning platform with ease.

Need of E-Learning in Manufacturing Sector

Technologies are augmenting the capabilities of modern workforce at all levels. Employees need to adapt new skills in the future where there will be enhanced collaboration between machines and humans, ensuring a more secure and efficient workplace environment. Different kinds of e-courses that are perfect for employees working in this sector include the following:

• Short and crisp e-courses are developed in the form of videos or presentations so that employees can learn at their own pace without any hassle. 
• Content is embedded with interactive videos so that employees can understand the actual scenarios and take safety measures before going to the site.
• Safety programs are organized to efficiently educate employees on workplace safety, material safety, risk handling and more.

A traditional classroom training approach won’t be enough, so it is essential to deliver efficient courses through online learning platforms that simulate real-life situations at workplace. The workforce of tomorrow requires training that prepares them to thrive in a fast pacing technological environment.

Microlearning - An Approach Towards Meeting The Needs Of Modern Learner

When we talk about learning at workplace, the goal is simple; to become better with what we do each day. The concept of microlearning emerged with the need to embrace the power of small learning moments to meet customized needs of all. Delivery of bite-sized content is transforming the digital landscape for learning & development organizations. Microlearning supports just-in-time learning by providing the right information at the right time without any hassle. It can be delivered in the form of interactive videos, text or games; or graphically as infographics and animations. The use of instructional graphics helps to reduce the amount of text, while a short animated video can explain the entire concept more succinctly than writing detailed instructions.

Emergence of mobile technologies have reshaped the way information is accessed; leading to increased learning efficiency and employee retention. In today’s accelerated pace of business, more demand is placed on workforce to perform better. Traditional training methods are not sufficient for employees to gain knowledge and competency to stay ahead of the curve. Microlearning empowers just-in-time learning, by providing the right content at the right time. For instance, a nurse may need to recall the process on how to use a medical device in hospital, reviewing the key guidelines in a 2-3 minutes presentation. Several features when added to e-courses make microlearning influential for learners aswell as educators:

  v  Be concise and targeted

Micro content is delivered in the form of 2-3 minutes self-contained concepts that are targeted to cater to individual learning needs. Learning in the form of chunks aligns with how the human brain works, thereby improving learner retention and performance.

  v  Provide intuitive access to content

As bite-sized content is best accessible on mobile devices, desktop use is equally important. Quick access means imparting digestible as well as intuitive content, which is easy to use at the point of need. Classroom training materials are not easily available, therefore providing access via cloud is a feasible solution.

  v  Deliver in different formats

Content is provided in different flexible formats across multiple mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) to address diverse learning styles and preferences.

Increasing demands of modern workforce to access precise and informal style of learning leave a significant impact on how training is delivered and supported. Incorporating microlearning as part of the organization's learning methodology can help learners build, sustain, retain knowledge, and keep them more competent and engaged at workplace.

Reference: https://think.storage.googleapis.com/images/micromoments-guide-to-winning-shift-to-mobile-download.pdf