The Importance of Effective Training Material

Here at SAFEWARE, we understand the importance of engaging and relevant content, as well as the method of delivery and the development of the training material itself. We can offer an array of options for our online clients. We can host client training content at a fixed cost per induction. Clients have the option to add a voiceover for presentation style hosting. Our learning management possesses excellent hosting functionality and allows us host a variety of different training material, which include video, files, assignments. SCORM, AICC, xAPI, Surveys, presentation (slide converters), observation checklists and much more.

We can also develop site specific training courses for our clients, complete with assessments and certification. We can offer presentation style training content developed by our subject matter experts. We can complete these presentations with trainer voiceovers to assist with engagement and navigation through the training. These courses can be developed for site specific needs. We will work closely with our clients to get the best understanding of their pain points, and therefore offer the most effective solution while ensuring fully EHS compliance.

We can also offer the developed of full video training content for our clients. The length of these courses can range for a couple of minutes to 60+ minutes of training, whatever is required for our clients needs. We work closely with an external video production company to compile this course material. We can ensure that your video production is of a high quality in terms of both content and video quality.

At SAFEWARE, we know the goal of creating engaging online training material is to create meaningful performance change in the users. Users should come away from their training and be able to do or understand something when they're finished with the training that they couldn't do before. Well thought out and produced content will assist increase the users engagement with the training material and help them become more invested in the end result, which helps the learner, the training designer and increases the quality of the training outcome.

If you would like to trial SAFEWARE today and experience the coherent usability of our learning management system, please register using this LINK and entering the branch code DEMO.

Online Training: How to Effectively Increase Knowledge Retention

It is no secret that employees can have extremely busy schedules. They must maintain a high standard and level of commitment in order to complete their tasks and goals in a timely manner. Not only do employees need to deal with their own tasks they are often required to go above and beyond in dealing with other projects, and customers etc. This, in turn, can place huge pressure on these employees. When offered to complete training, be it online or in the classroom, enthusiasm can more often than not be lacking before they have even begun. The strain and stress from their everyday roles can take its toll. Whatever reserves are left for concentration and retention within their brain is often stretched to its limit, making it difficult to grasp concepts within these training sessions. Employer should focus their attention on how to positively reinforce knowledge retention through online learning. Here at SAFEWARE, we have some easy tips for employers and trainers to assist with this

1. Inclusion of interactive assessments. Using interactive assessments in the form of quizzes can offer a higher level of engagement for online learners. This is because this kind of interactive learning is immersive, can be personalized, and can offer opportunities for micro and adaptive learning. Therefore it increases knowledge retention for online learners

2. Encourage your users to put their newly learned information to use. Putting your learning into practice is important for cementing it in your mind, because practice creates new neural pathways in the brain. Each time you practice a new skill or apply some new piece of information in a practical way, those pathways are strengthened and you’ll be less and less likely to forget what you’ve learned.

3. Advise learners of follow-up training. Ensuring that you offer that learners’ new knowledge can be refreshed and built upon with additional training sessions can help to fortify what information has been given and aids knowledge retention.

The above tips will not necessarily solve the issue for all learners but it can offer an aid to some learners. Determining what best works for your and your employees is imperative for any online training. By using a variety of techniques to cement new information in the minds of learners, they will be far more likely to retain it in the long-term.

Assisting With Company Adaptability Through Blended Learning

In recent times, when reviewing the values of an organisation, adaptability has become more important. Evolving technologies and sectors are putting an emphasis on adaptability and evaluating companies’ capabilities for quick change.

With the current climate, and the impact of coronavirus, these organisations have had to prove their capability in pivoting their approach in terms of both operations and strategy. The pandemic has forced organisations to change the way in which they work, restructuring their everyday procedures. This new approach is requiring employees to adapt. They are assessing new tools and ways of learning, to ensure productivity.

As well as operations, the need for adaptability now branches out to learning and development. In review of training programmes, organisations who have not had an online training solution up to this point are hitting a stumbling block.

The benefits of blended learning stretch further than the capabilities of customisation and record management. The most crucial benefits of having an online learning management system during times of change include adaptability. Having an intuitive online platform and tools for learning and development can make for a seamless transition. This article will take a more in-depth view through the advantages of how blended learning can assist with company adaptability. These include how it can:

·        Help to standardise training for remote or distance learners

·        Assist organisations to pivot their learning as required

·        Provide an array of resources to benefit learners

Helps to Standardise training for remote or distance learners

A blended approach is a fantastic way to standardise learning for organisations who find their employees in an array of locations working remotely. Classroom based training across multiple locations can lack consistency and standardisation. A learning management system can offer a central location for learning, along with providing record and certification management, notification processes, automation, gamification and much more. To assimilate classroom based and online training would offer a balances and consistent message, with readily available content to all learners.

Blended learning allows organisations to roll out training to all employees together. allows an organisation to function.

Assists organisations to pivot their learning as required

Having an online learning management system that aligns with classroom-based training signifies that the organisation would have the specific tools in place to make training consistent if required to pivot in their approaches to change. Once again, referring back to the global pandemic as an example of a severe grounds for change in an organisation. If a decision involving change to L&D arises, communication within the business between management and staff will be made more harmonious if the organisation has an applicable platform in place.

It will give the employees a chance to utilise a different resource for training (further explained in my next point); allowing for adaptability in terms of changing work process and flows. This contributes to a long-term success for the organisation overall.

Provides an array of resources to learners

It would be imprudent to believe that all training can take place in one learning situation. Different topics can often require different types of training. For example, manual handling training, which all employees must undertake if they are required to move objects and loads. This training requires a practical session in addition to theoretical elements of training. Blended learning offers learners a variety of resources when it comes to their training.

Although there are benefits in classroom-based training, i.e interaction and group discussion, the blended approach to training is often beneficial in terms of resources. Staff leave the session with little more than their notes and proof of assessment. This is where a blended solution can be an advantage. Simply, storing training material on a learning management training allows learners to reference back to their training, which is not always a capability for classroom-based learners.

Blended learning has the added benefit for learner preference. We all learn in different way and our brain processes information differently. Blended learning offers a variety of modalities. Allowing learners to engage with training which they believe helps them to process information more efficiently. This can lead to better employee engagement, and overall, better productivity. Your learners no longer need to be limited in their learning capabilities.

If your company is struggling with adaptability and would like to know more about branching into a more intuitive and inclusive system, please get in touch. SAFEWARE offers a platform that best suits your company needs. Discuss your options for building a training infrastructure based on a blended learning model.

How Online Training Can Improve Employee Engagement →

Research suggests it is imperative that management engage their employees with their tasks and work projects. SHRM research indicates that engaged employees are more productive, innovative and therefore receive better results; strengthening an organisation for a better culture and competitive advantage. Monetary incentives are becoming less likely to motivate employees. Personal growth, increased career opportunities and ongoing development are at the forefront of what employees truly desire. According to the National Research Business Institute, 23% of employees are leaving their current roles due to lack of development and training. Many organisations are not providing enough opportunity for growth.

The question that management should be asking is ‘how do we address this challenge?’. The answer is simple, give employees what they crave in terms of development. This is where online training or e-learning comes into effect. Online learning provides interesting, relevant, and interactive content, that supports career opportunities and ongoing development.  Unlike that of classroom-based training, online training offers employees training that can be accessed everywhere, any time, on a variety of devices. It allows employees to complete the training at their own pace. This eliminates any worry about moving at the speed of a class. As well as the content benefiting employees in terms development, this also allow for an interactive and immersive form of learning. This, in turn allows for a more engaged employee!

Not only can online learning benefit the employees, but can also benefit the employer. Finding the best online platform can cut administrative duties in half! In order to find the best online learning platform to implement for your organization there are key elements to look out for, one of the most important being its affordability.  Finding a cost-effective solution, which is easy to navigate is of huge gain for an organization.

SAFEWARE is an online training and induction platform, launched by Occupli in 2019. Occupli is a leading provider of high quality, professional services focusing on Health and Safety, Environmental and Carbon Emissions. SAFEWARE can be used for both blended and online learning. The platform itself is completely customisable. Administrative tasks are made easy with SAFEWARE, as it keeps track of company training records and certification. It can also issue reminders when refresher courses are due. The UX for SAFEWARE is second to none, offering easy navigation through learning programmes, while also offering the functionality of gamification. This again highlights the interactive elements of learning. As Ireland’s largest EHS company, we continually see organisations spending large amounts of time and money on staff/contractor/visitor inductions and training. Not only is SAFEWARE affordable for large scale organisations, it is just as beneficial and convenient to small and medium enterprises alike.

We understand the needs of both employees and employers. Our services offer comprehensive reporting, lower costs, consistent flexibility, and increased engagement

Sources:

Society of Human Resource Management

National Research Business Institute