Corporate training is an ongoing challenge for construction firms, especially firms that may not have updated their training and requirements in some time.
Maybe this scenario sounds familiar. You pull 20 project engineers into a room, often far away from a jobsite. They're given training on an important subject: safety, MEP coordination, or specific how-to's related to time-saving, improving the bottom line, or managing the crew.
Unfortunately, out of those 20 project engineers, only around five of them are currently working with the specific thing that you spent the day going over.
Once the training is complete, the information is stored on an intranet site or box folder, generally on the corporate network. The trouble is, no one has any idea where it is, and they might have no idea how to look for it when they do need help. Your project engineers might have a basic understanding of the content, but chances are, it will fade quickly once they're back on the job site, dealing with critical items of the job and managing the day-to-day running of their sites.
The cost of that training includes paid trainers, a paid room rental, and the time of your staff--often, four hours plus for each team member. Meanwhile, you may have tasks going undone on the job site because you lack the hands to put on those projects.
Modern construction firm training, on the other hand, has the potential to look very different--and it might just revolutionize the way your construction team interacts, does business, and improves safety standards on every job site.
Modern Solutions for Modern Construction Firms
Millennials expect to use technology on the job. They're used to using their phones, including their personal devices, for their training and information needs. They grew up with that technology in hand, and they're prepared to use it to enhance their professional lives.
As a construction firm, you can use that to your advantage.
Virtual Training Solutions
For many training opportunities, you can offer virtual training. Instead of pulling employees to a central location, where training is delivered rapid-fire by a single individual who cannot incorporate the learning styles of all your construction workers in a single session, you can host virtual training sessions. Virtual training modules can be conducted in real-time or they can be completed at the worker's own pace, allowing him to get necessary certifications, expand his knowledge, and deepen his understanding of the field in a time and setting that works for him.
These virtual training models offer several key advantages.
- They cut costs. You won't have to pay for individual trainers or rent the room, and you may end up with fewer employee salary costs related to the overall training. In addition, you won't have to pay employees for drive time.
- They allow employees to take that training directly to the job site. The best way to remember something is to learn or study it in the environment where it will actually be used. For construction workers, that means directly on the job site--and virtual training modules allow them to bring up that information when they're actually in the environment, making use of it.
- They provide employees with more opportunities to learn and grow, since they're able to access that training at times that are convenient for them. Project engineers spend a lot of time on the job site. They may have tight deadlines to meet--and in many cases, those deadlines simply do not allow time for additional training. With virtual training solutions, however, those workers can often find more time to engage with those modules. That means you get better-trained employees on the job site.
- Your workers are, overall, happier. Millennial workers expect to have access to the information they need, when they need it. They prioritize learning, development, and training. In fact, 60% of millennials note that job training is of critical importance in their lives. With virtual training solutions, you can put them in a position to access that information at need.
Information at Their Fingertips
In addition to direct virtual training modules, virtual training and information solutions may include making that information and data readily available to employees when they need it.
Suppose, for example, that an employee remembers a specific element of safety training when it pertains to working on a steep roof or a certain height, but he needs to check the details. With an effective knowledge management solution, you can provide team members with easy access to that information. All they have to do is conduct a quick search to have that information directly in hand.
Having ready access to that information means that your team members will be more likely to use it, whether it's a new procedure that makes it easier or more efficient for them to take on a specific task or a safety standard that will help keep all the members of your team safer on the job site. An information library will also:
- Make it easier for project engineers and construction workers to double-check procedures. Are they meeting OSHA regulations? Are they preparing to complete the job in a way that's up to your standards? With the knowledge database, it's easy to keep up with that information.
- Save time. Often, construction workers need to check in with one another, with management team members, or with outdated paper information in order to ensure that they're meeting the standards expected of your team on the job site. An effective knowledge management system, on the other hand, will help ensure that each worker can quickly pull up that information than needed--and that means fewer delays as they complete their assigned tasks.
- Increase overall knowledge. It may surprise you just how much the members of your teams want access to that information--and with a comprehensive knowledge database, they'll have it in their hands.
Providing the right training and information for your team members is critical. With an effective knowledge database, you can provide your workers with the information they need. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you put the information your workers need in their hands on the job site and on the go.
