Training Your Personnel: Level 4

Unit 6 - Background to Training

6.2 Training Methods
Introduction

The training strategy must meet the needs of both the employer and the employees. The training methods must ensure that staff attain the required levels of competence for their particular responsibilities. There are a number of training methods which may be used and these are described below. There are also a variety of training aids which can be employed, including:

  • Staff handbooks.
  • Newsletters.
  • Flip charts.
  • Video recordings.
Induction Courses

The purpose of induction training is to familiarise new staff with the organisation's activities and methods of working. For those organisations with a commitment to improving environmental performance, the induction training presents the first opportunity for the organisation to demonstrate its environmental commitment and help foster an environmental culture. An induction course should aim to provide general guidance on:

  1. The organisation's environmental policy and management system.
  2. The legal duties of both the employer and employees.
  3. Individual and organisational responsibilities for environmental protection.
  4. Environmental achievements.
  5. Future performance targets.
In-house Training

In-house training is often the preferred option of employers because it can be tailored to the specific needs of the organisation. When undertaken on-site, training events can be structured to include working examples to illustrate key issues. Courses can also be scheduled to ensure minimum disruption of operational activities. In-house training is particularly useful:

  1. To introduce new staff to organisational policies
  2. Where several employees require the same training in a specific area
  3. To introduce staff to new working methods or new equipment
  4. As part of continuing employee development.
In-house training programmes should be periodically reviewed to ensure that attainment targets for specific activities are appropriate and that the information is both relevant and up to date. It is equally important to ensure that the trainer is suitably qualified to deliver training to the required level of competency. This can be done by checking qualifications and determining whether the trainer has suitable experience.
Training Workshops and Discussion Groups

These can be formal or informal group sessions. Trainers disseminate information on a particular topic or skill and provide guidance on implementation. They can be used simply to establish a forum for discussion or to provide teams with detailed information on particular topics. Suitable topics may include:

  1. Organisational-related environmental issues, e.g. air and water quality, land use, energy, waste and transport, etc and their effect on environmental quality, the local community and health
  2. Requirements for implementing the environmental management system, including departmental and individual duties
  3. Organisational targets and objectives for improving environmental performance, e.g. waste minimisation, energy conservation and pollution abatement, etc.
Workshops can be run in-house using either internal or external trainers. Trainees should be encouraged to participate by providing feedback on subjects they are unsure about and any problems they encounter.
Lectures and Seminars

These are more formal training methods relating to specific responsibilities and technical skills. Those involved should include, for example, line managers, process engineers and technical operatives. Subjects may cover:

  1. Legal liabilities associated with particular operational activities
  2. Environmental monitoring, data collection and analysis and record keeping
  3. Setting targets and objectives to reduce environmental impacts
  4. Environmental auditing and review procedures.
To ensure that employees have achieved a high level of competence in these specialist areas, it is recommended that the training is formally assessed, for example through interviews or written examination.
Demonstrations and Case Studies

Demonstrations and case studies provide working examples of how environmental management systems work in practice and possible achievements towards improving environmental performance. They are particularly useful for illustrating operational procedures and assessing the consequences of incorrect practices.

Demonstrations are appropriate to all staff and can be delivered to agreed attainment levels depending on required skills. They also provide an ideal opportunity to introduce practical sessions under supervision. Demonstrations and case studies can be used to cover general issues such as environmental costs and benefits, which may incorporate analysis of energy efficiency schemes, waste minimisation and water conservation. Also more specific issues may be addressed, such as clean technology equipment, monitoring procedures, site-based environmental auditing and data collection and analysis.
Academic External Training Courses

Formal and informal environmental training and education are becoming more widely available as the demand for higher levels of competence increases. Academic institutions and professional training organisations now run a variety of environment-related courses on a number of specialist and non-specialist subjects, often leading to a nationally recognised degree or diploma (see Environmental Training Courses in section four).

These courses are offered at varying academic levels, depending on the length and intensity of the course. Academic qualifications include undergraduate degrees and postgraduate qualifications, such as masters' degrees and doctorates.

Courses are available in a variety of formats, including full-time, part-time and modular courses. Full-time academic courses may take three or four years to complete, whereas part-time and modular courses may be longer or shorter, depending on the credits required to qualify for a particular award.

Modular courses are short periods of study, usually of one week's duration per module. They are particularly helpful to employers because they do not involve long periods of absence by staff. Students can choose the subjects they need and plan the course over a period of time to fit in with their commitments at work.

Professional Institutions and External Training Organisations

Organisations A number of professional institutions now validate their own specialist environmental courses. Two examples include the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health's (NEBOSH) Specialist Diploma in Environmental Management and the Environmental Auditors Registration Association's (EARA) Foundation Environmental Audit course.

The courses include technical and practical information in the application of environmental management and auditing. To complete the course successfully, students must pass a formal examination, as a demonstration of the required level of competence in these areas. These courses are compiled by independent training organisations and submitted to the requisite institution for approval. Validation is granted only when the institution is satisfied that the course meets an agreed technical and professional standard.