Microlearning For Manufacturing Training Benefits
Manufacturing training presents challenges that stem from the unique nature and current needs of the industry.
Manufacturing jobs are physically demanding and dangerous. Naturally, a large part of manufacturing training focuses on safety and compliance. That ranges from simple topics like personal protective equipment awareness to more complicated ones, like handling chemical substances and machine guarding. The point is, the well-being of your employees heavily depends on the effectiveness of manufacturing safety training.
At the same time, automation has made things easier for manufacturing workers. Production and assembly processes are now faster and safer. Robots have taken over dangerous procedures, like the handling of hazardous materials.
And yet, computer-aided manufacturing is not possible without a skilled workforce. At the moment, things don’t look good. Younger, tech-savvy generations seldom join manufacturing, which means that the skills gap is only going to get bigger. Upskilling your existing workforce has become more important than ever. But, you need to do it fast and effectively.
Microlearning has proven to be a valuable learning method. Utilizing microlearning for manufacturing training either as your primary training delivery method or as a knowledge aid comes with multiple benefits.
Let’s see what these are:
1. It’s The Ideal Just-In-Time Training Tool
Training in the manufacturing industry is extended and sometimes hard. You can’t expect workers to remember everything they’ve learned. The problem is that a small detail that slips through can compromise workplace safety or have legal repercussions. How can you make sure this doesn’t happen?
The answer is microlearning. Microlearning is usually delivered on a mobile, and it’s always short—usually around 3-10 minutes. So, when your employees need a last-minute refresher, all they have to do is reach for their smartphones. They can find the information they need at a glance.
Bite-sized learning has a place even in demanding types of training. For example, you can turn a long video explaining workplace safety procedures into a microlearning infographic that outlines the basic steps. That’s all your employees need in the field. A microlearning app, like TalentCards, will help you organize your content into easily accessible, bite-sized chunks.
2. It Brings Immediate Results
More often than not, manufacturing training can’t drag on forever. Like when you get new machinery to speed up production. Or when the deadline to implement a new safety regulation is dangerously approaching. You don’t want to wait three months until your staff catches on, right?
To impart knowledge in no time, use microlearning for manufacturing training. Microlearning works fast. It delivers high-density information that focuses on a specific subject. No beating around the bush, no blabber. It’s like following a straight line to reach your destination. You’ll get there faster.
3. It Increases Knowledge Retention
You can’t ignore the fact that manufacturing workers do mostly manual labor. Physical exhaustion brings mental exhaustion too. That affects their ability to retain information and keep up with training.
Do you want employees to retain more information? Then break your course into 10-minute video tutorials and infographics instead of four one-hour videos. You’ll offer them the exact same amount of information, only in a way that their brains can process better. That’s why microlearning has higher knowledge retention rates compared to traditional learning methods.
What is more, employees can revisit a microlearning course to quickly refresh their memories on challenging topics. Something they can’t do easily if they have to scan through a long-form course.
4. It Boosts Learner Engagement
Chances are manufacturing workers don’t enjoy long training sessions. These are practical people who prefer action to words. To grab their attention and keep them coming back, you need to keep things interesting. Training and development in the manufacturing industry might deal with serious topics, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make the learning journey more fun.
With microlearning, there’s no time to get bored or distracted. Mix activities to break the monotony and cater to different learning preferences. The result will be an enjoyable, engaging learning experience for everyone.
Depending on the training, you can use infographics, videos, quizzes or even gamification features. For example, create a short video to demonstrate electrical hazards in the workplace. You can also create quizzes to test employee knowledge on compliance topics, keeping score on a leaderboard.
5. It Decreases Cost And Development Time
Manufacturing training programs include onboarding, IT security, anti-harassment policies, etc. These types of training are standard for most workplaces. Add to that extensive compliance training to implement good manufacturing practices or other industry-specific regulations. Then there’s also technical skills training to familiarize manufacturing workers with new machinery, etc. And—saved the best for last—health and safety training, which has countless topics to cover. The cost is immense. The development time? Let’s just say your L&D team will never get bored.
Microlearning is short, so it’s significantly faster to develop and more budget-friendly than traditional training. Plus, don’t forget you’ll occasionally need to update your training courses. Microlearning courses are easy to update. You can add a few sessions where and as needed without messing the structure of the course.
6. It’s Flexible
Manufacturing workers don’t have much time (if at all) during their workday for training. If they take time off their workday, the production process will stay behind. On the other hand, they’re not eager to cut down on their much-deserved leisure time either.
Utilizing microlearning for manufacturing training ensures that training doesn’t interfere with anyone’s workload or free time. Spending 20 minutes tops on training isn’t much, whether it’s during work hours or outside of them. And since microlearning is accessible on mobile, employees can resume their training when it’s most convenient.
7. It Addresses Tech-Savvy And Tech-Resistant Learners Alike
With baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials coexisting in the workplace, there’s an overlap of generations in the manufacturing industry. An online training course will probably not be a piece of cake for everyone.
Everyone uses a smartphone though. A microlearning course delivered through a mobile learning platform is a win-win for everyone. Besides, microlearning content is as simple as it gets. With the right platform, your content will be perfectly structured and easy to navigate.
Conclusion
If you thought that microlearning doesn’t belong in an industry as big as manufacturing, think again. Microlearning is built to deliver immediate learning where traditional learning methods fail to do so. It rightfully has a place in manufacturing training too.
