Workplace Education

Education in the workplace is of critical importance - now -more than ever, due to changes in technology and development and process methodologies. Employees minds must be kept sharp in order to adapt to fast changing demands.

Too often employees lose sight of the point and purpose of what they are doing within an organisation. They go through the motions instead of taking a critical look at what they are doing -  and how they can be improve things. Such a critical perspective can only be achieved if a good understanding of the core concepts of the role and business surrounding it is achieved. Yes, there is ‘learning on the job’, but that has its limitations. In the face of tight deadlines we usually only learn all that is required to get the job done quick. Therefore time need to be taken to educate the workforce - at all levels

Workplace education usually means taking days off for training on or off-site. This type of training is expensive in terms of time and money - unless the skills are actually used.

Such formal training though is invaluable in many circumstances but it not nimble enough to cater for smaller but fast changing requirements. To meet such requirements training material should be created by the team in the form of examinations (multiple choice, short question and scenarios) and quizzes. The masses of (usually un-read) documentation generated by the team would be revision material. This would be a simple and effect way of ensuring internally generated knowledge is understood by all and not wasted. I would predict it would have the effect of strengthening core competencies and increasing productivity - How? The information would be memorised and understood. A quiz with a valuable prize would be an ideal way of encouraging a team to brush up on theory behind the work they actually doing.