Workplace training can be confusing. Oftentimes it is lumped together with organisational development and, whilst not incorrect to do so, this can lead to difficulties in understanding the key differences between compliance and capability.
We help your organisation:
- Understand the difference between compliance and capability as it applies to you
- Identify the requirements for each based on your needs
- Create a training needs analysis
- Develop the required training
- Implement the training needs analysis in face to face, online or blended modes.
- Review the effectiveness of the training needs analysis.
To do this, we start by looking at the differences between compliance and capability.
Understanding Compliance and Capability
Compliance
Compliance is driven by your documented requirements. At its most simple, these are your obligations under:
- Legal frameworks (acts, regulations and codes of practice as appplicable)
- Government approved, endorsed or recognised standards
- Any accreditation you have (AS/NZS, ISO, NHVAS or others)
- Your organisation’s safety management system
- Licensing Requirements (people who are required to perform a task are licensed, if required)
Compliance is no longer simply giving people documents to read, and sign to say they understand – in fact, this is specifically mentioned as unacceptable by the Code of Practice for How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks.
Compliance is generally overseen by a Safety and Training Team.
Capability
Capability in contrast is ensuring that you have enough workers to do a particular task in your workplace. Capability is generally focused on ensuring:
- Enough people have the required licences or tickets to do a task (drive or use a particular piece of machinery for example)
- Talent pipelining to cover critical business positions
- Development plans for particular workers as the business changes how it operates
Capability is generally overseen by Human Resources Business Partners.
Creating a Training Needs Analysis
The training needs analysis focuses identifying the skills and knowledge that are required by workers in your organisation. At its most basic, this is a matrix of roles and requirements.
Whilst training needs analysis generally deal with compliance training, they can include capability training as well.
The training needs analysis is the bible for your organisation to ensure that each worker is assigned the training they need, and can be audited as to whether they meet that requirement or not.
Developing Training
Have a look at some training we’ve developed in the past on our portfolio page.
Implementing the Training Needs Analysis
We love streamlining and simplifying processes, which is why believe all things should be automated – either in part, or completely.
Partial Automation
In partial automation, the most critical aspects of training are streamlined only.
This is generally the assignment of training through a learning management system.
- Workers log in to your Learning Management System
- The system knows the type of worker they are from their profile
- The system automatically assigns the required training based on the training needs analysis
- Training is completed by a worker or escalated to another party for verification, review or signoff.
Other parts of the process such as creating users in the system, running reports and auditing is done manually.
Don’t have an LMS? Not a problem – we have several that we love to use that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
Complete Automation
In complete automation, all aspects are automated to the fullest extent possible within your organisation.
This will generally include:
- Automated exports of worker details from your HR Information System (such as SAP, Oracle, ELMO or even a Google Sheet)
- Automated imports into the LMS
- Automatic assignment of training (the same as in partial automation)
- Automatic reports to managers and supervisors of completions.
Don’t have an LMS or an HRIS? Not a problem – we have several that we love to use that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
Whichever you choose, with an implemented training needs analysis and learning management system you are able to see:
- Who has completed what training
- Who is authorised for particular work areas or tasks
- Who can cover shifts or jobs in the event of illness or absence
- When training was completed
Reviewing the Effectivness of Training
Reviewing the effectiveness of your training can be tricky, especially when trying to determine where to start. Reviewing training is done at varying levels, from a worker’s reaction through to return on investment for the organisation.
We develop effective programs that help you achieve your results, and people love completing just as much as we loved creating them!
Let’s work together on your next project
hello@upskiller.co