3.6 Training and Development

Question 1

What is on-the-job training?

Answer 1

Training that occurs at the place of work and while the worker is doing the job.

Question 2

What is off-the-job training?

Answer 2

Training that occurs away from the job. It may still be at the place of work, or the employee may be sent somewhere else e.g. a college or training centre.

Question 3

What is induction training?

Answer 3

Training to introduce a new worker to the business, place or work and fellow workers. It will often cover safety information.

Question 4

What is development?

Answer 4

Long term actions taken to focus on helping a worker to realise their longer-term potential.

Question 5

What is an apprenticeship?

Answer 5

A long-term development programme for workers to learn new skills while they work, through a mixture of on- and off-the-job training and study. Apprenticeships leads to some kind of vocational qualification.

Question 6

What is productivity?

Answer 6

Output per person in a given period of time.

Question 7

Define skills shortage.

Answer 7

A situation when a business does not have workers with the right skills to complete the work.

Question 8

Define customer service.

Answer 8

The service given to customers, including service at the time of the sale and after the sale.

Question 9

Define motivation.

Answer 9

When workers are incentivised to work and to work efficiently. Workers are motivated by pay and non-pay rewards.

Question 10

Define retention.

Answer 10

When workers can be kept employed by businesses rather than leaving them to work elsewhere.

Question 11

Describe the difference between training and development.

Answer 11

Training is more job specific and short term. It is about teaching the knowledge and skills needed to do a particular job. It is about preparing the employee to do a job or to improve their performance in what they do.
Whereas development is about the overall growth of the worker and is longer term. It is about teaching knowledge and skills that will be useful to the business and the employee at some time in the future. It is about developing the potential of an employee.

Question 12

Define training.

Answer 12

Training is job specific and short term. It is about teaching the knowledge and skills needed to do a particular job. It is about preparing the employee to do a job or to improve their performance in what they do.

Question 13

Define development.

Answer 13

Development is about the overall growth of the worker and is longer term. It is about teaching knowledge and skills that will be useful to the business and the employee at some time in the future. It is about developing the potential of an employee.

Question 14

State three benefits to a business of training staff.

Answer 14

Develops the business/more competitive.
Improves productivity.
Solves skills shortages.
Improves customer service.
Improves motivation and retention.

Question 15

State three advantages on on-the-job training.

Answer 15

Individual training improves performance.
Cheaper than off-the-job.
Trainee produces goods and services while training.
Trained to do the job in the way the firm wants it done.
Can improve retention as the skills are specific to the business and may not be useful to another firm.

Question 16

State three disadvantages on on-the-job training.

Answer 16

Trainer may need to leave their work to deliver training.
Quality may be poor (wastage/reputation)
Quality of training depends on skills of the trainer.
Not often suitable for groups, more effective one-to-one.

Question 17

Why do business train staff?

Answer 17

To gain:
Personal skills
Technical skills
Health and safety knowledge
More diversity in the workplace
Management skills
Knowledge of new products
Flexibility
Personal development

Also:
To induct new workers
To retrain
To allow for more group work

Question 18

List three examples of off-the-job training.

Answer 18

Lectures
Demonstrations
Role play/simulation
team-building
Online materials

Question 19

What are the advantages of off-the-job training?

Answer 19

High quality, as delivered by experts.
Worker can use specially designed training equipment.
Workers may enjoy the change of environment.
Workers feel valued as the firm has paid for them to be trained.
It is essential when safety is a risk of the job.

Question 20

What are the advantages of on-the-job training?

Answer 20

More expensive due to fees, travel and accommodation costs.
Absence from work means goods are not being produced.
Risk the employee may want to leave once they have new skills and qualifications.

Question 21

What are the advantages of induction training to the worker?

Answer 21

New workers:
Get to know colleagues
Are made to feel welcome
Get to know the place of work
Learn what is expected of them
Learn about the culture of the business
Are able to work more safely

Question 22

What are the advantages of induction training to the business?

Answer 22

Workers settle more quickly and are happier and more confident in working for the business.
Worker becomes productive more quickly.
health and safety risks are reduced.

Question 23

What are vocational qualifications?

Answer 23

Qualifications that are specific to a job. They are usually gained through a mix of practical, hands-on learning, alongside some classroom study.

Question 24

What are academic qualifications?

Answer 24

These are more general qualifications. Learning is more theoretical and predominantly class-based.
GCSEs, A-Levels and degrees are academic qualifications.

Question 25

List three advantages to the business of offering and apprenticeship.

Answer 25

A good way to recruit workers, who are often enthusiastic to learn,
Can be cheaper to train an apprentice than to employ someone already trained.
There may be help from the government towards the cost of an apprentice.
Training staff in the specific needs of the business.
May help avoid skills shortages.
Apprentice carries out work while training.

Question 26

List three disadvantages to the business of offering and apprenticeship.

Answer 26

If the apprentice is not motivated and does not finish their training, money has been wasted.
It costs to develop an apprentice (courses and time of experienced staff)
Apprentices may make mistakes affecting quality and/or reputation.

Question 27

List two advantages of staff development.

Answer 27

Develops long-term potential of the workers, leading to better efficiency.
Can help meet future staffing needs e.g future managers.
Workers are motivated as they appreciate that they are being invested into.

Question 28

List two disadvantages of staff development.

Answer 28

Programmes can be expensive.
Worker may be away from workplace, no output produced.
May be necessary to pay for staff to cover the absent worker.
Worker may leave once they have been developed, meaning investment has been lost.