Implementation Planning Guide.
Six critical steps to launch an effective training program.
Overview.
By choosing Tooling U-SME, you are now aligned with the country’s leading online manufacturing training provider. Tooling U-SME delivers versatile, competency-based learning and development solutions to thousands of companies, including more than half of all Fortune 500® manufacturers, as well as 600 educational institutions across the country.
We partner with customers like you to build high performers who help their companies drive quality, productivity, innovation, and employee satisfaction. Our experience working with thousands of organizations to train hundreds of thousands of individuals has taught us that simply purchasing training does not guarantee results. In fact, we know that training without a plan is the first step to failure. Instead, we work alongside our customers to implement standard best practices to ensure that each rollout runs smoothly.
This guide will walk you through six critical aspects of launching an effective training program and set you on the path for success.
1. SET PROGRAM GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS.
First, consider what you are hoping to accomplish with your training program. Whether you are looking to standardize a body of knowledge across your organization or address a specific problem, there are some key factors you need to consider at the outset. Defining your goals and expectations will help you begin to shape your initial curriculum and organize your student groups.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• What is the purpose of the training? Common pain points include lowering scrap rates, reducing OJT time, and facilitating knowledge transfer.
• Is training intended for onboarding new employees, fulfilling career-path goals, or for upskilling existing employees?
• Will all employees be trained or only a specific department?
• Will Tooling U-SME online courses be part of a larger training initiative? If so, how will they work together?
• Will training be mandatory or voluntary?
• Will you be providing a formal schedule or any sort of incentives?
2. CHOOSE YOUR TEAM.
Once you have identified your goals and expectations, you should have a good idea who can best help you achieve them. The team can consist of HR leaders, Training Coordinators, Division Managers, Department Supervisors, or anyone who knows your organizational goals and understands your students and what will motivate them.
Your team will fill key roles as Training Champions (Site Administrators and Group Administrators) who will be actively involved in the learning process and administer the learning management system (LMS). They or other team members will need to coordinate additional aspects of the training initiative, such as communications, metrics, and logistics. Understanding the responsibilities of each role will help you select team members who would be a good fit.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Site Admins will have access to everything in our LMS
• Group Admins will be able to see and edit only their specific groups
• Either the admins or other team members will need to
˚ Create and administer your communication plan
˚ Manage success metrics
˚ Set up a training room and computers
˚ Facilitate downloading the class app to smart devices
˚ Select the classes best suited for your workforce
IMPORTANT: Schedule admin center and student center reviews with our Client Services team as soon as possible to help familiarize you and your team with the system to help make decisions going forward.
3. DETERMINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
With goals identified and Training Champions in place, the next step is determining the roles and responsibilities for your team. Your program’s success depends upon proper setup, management, coaching, and follow-though.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Identify the roles and responsibilities and assign Site and Group Admins. This is a critical step, and communicating who is responsible for what is key to success.
• What will be expected of Site Admins for assisting Group Admins?
• What will be expected of Group Admins for encouraging successful completion of classes?
• What will be expected of Group Admins when using the competency manager or for offline tasks and sign-off?
• How will students be broken into groups? Consider groupings that best fit your organization, such as by shift or supervisor; levels, such as 1, 2, 3; or job roles, such as mechanics, engineers, quality, or welders.
• What intervention will be expected of Group Admins for students who are falling behind or struggling with training? How will you support students who need assistance?
• Will admins also be students?
• What format will be adopted for user IDs? Do employees have an ID they currently use that may simplify things?
• Who will students contact with technical issues, such as being locked out of their accounts?
4. DEVELOP YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM.
Once the Training Champions know what is expected of them with regard to program goals, gather your team and begin outlining the details of your training program.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• How will student curriculum be determined? Engage with department managers, supervisors, and subject matter experts to help with this process.
• How will you launch? Starting with a small group of classes across all employees is a great way to begin.
• Will employees be given time on the job to complete training? If not, what concessions will be made for employees without computers or smart devices at home?
• How long will it take to set up/verify the training location?
• How many computers will you have available for training? Do they meet the Tooling U-SME tech requirements?
• Will a formal training schedule need to be made and distributed?
• Do target students have familiarity with computers or smart devices?
• Engaging managers is critical to program success. If you have not already included them in the planning process, will a review of student/group curriculum by managers occur prior to launch?
• What are the student expectations, and do they include completion dates for classes? What happens if due dates are missed?
• Have you identified cut scores? In other words, what is the acceptable passing grade for student finals? We recommend 75%-80%.
5. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEAM.
Now that you have identified the goals, the team, the expectations, and the outline for the training program, you have arrived at one of the most crucial steps: Communication. Your communication plan should cover launch communications and ongoing communications. Launch communications are critical to the positive adoption of the program, while ongoing communications are key to the individual success of your admins and students.
We can provide banners, posters, fliers, student demos, and user guides to help create a buzz and serve as ongoing support, but the bulk of the plan should focus on your messaging to your employees.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Who will lead communications for this training initiative? Will the same person or group handle communication for both admins and students?
• Which modes of communication will you use for which messages? Will you utilize large company-wide meetings, lunch-and-learns, emails, team gatherings, one-on-one meetings, intranet sites, posters, flyers, etc.?
• If this training is creating a culture shift, how will you communicate the benefits and any anticipated effects on individual jobs? How do you plan to sell it? Are you prepared to answer employee questions?
• How will admins be identified and notified of their roles and responsibilities, and how will you facilitate ongoing communications with them?
• How will you communicate with individual students? The underlying message should be that training is an investment in them, a benefit— not a means to eliminate staff. Practical messages will include user ID assignments, class schedules, due dates, expectations, performance reports, incentives, and avenues of support. How will you communicate those?
• In the case where students’ group admins are not their actual supervisors, how will you explain roles and responsibilities and avenues of support?
6. IDENTIFY METRICS AND REPORTING. CONSIDERATIONS:
Metrics and reporting are essential to making sure you meet your goals with your training initiative. You have invested time and effort into launching your training, and we are here to help keep it on track.
• Discuss important deliverables and dates of completion. Where do you expect to be with training in three months, six months, one year, etc.?
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) are crucial to gauging program success. Identify those measures that will show your training program is effective, such as a reduction in scrap by 5% after one year or a specific percentage score increase between the pretest and final exam scores. Predetermining your KPIs will allow you to collect pertinent data from the beginning.
• If your training starts with a pilot, identify the specific success measures for the trial. Determine what needs to be accomplished and measured to define success and to expand the program.
WHAT IS TOOLING U-SME?
Tooling U-SME is a key part of the Workforce Development division at SME, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. SME began almost 90 years ago as a membership organization but has grown further to serve the manufacturing industry in a multitude of ways:
• SME is known for sponsoring many of manufacturing’s most important industry events, including FABTECH, AeroDef, RAPID + TCT, and SMX: Smart Manufacturing Experience, among others.
• SME publishes Manufacturing Engineering, Smart Manufacturing Magazine, plus multiple industry yearbooks and other materials.
• SME’s Education Foundation partners with leading manufacturers to support manufacturing education from middle school through college.
PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE
Tooling U-SME provides the highest level of customer service in the manufacturing training industry. Our Client Services team, located at our Cleveland headquarters, provides personalized, hands-on guidance to our client companies. From the moment your agreement is signed, your account will be overseen by one of our seasoned Client Success Managers (CSM). Your CSM will guide you through the set up and onboarding process, troubleshoot any start-up issues you have, and can assist you through the life of your account.
EXPLORE YOUR TRAINING PARTNER
We are so glad you chose Tooling U-SME as your training partner. We have a proven, comprehensive approach to designing results-driven workforce development solutions. With content aligned to your business needs and built to achieve your desired outcomes, we offer a variety of delivery methods that let you choose your best options. In addition to our Catalog of over 500 online classes, we can enhance student retention and performance with our suite of other products and services, including:
CUSTOMIZED CLASSES AND TRAINING
Our three levels of Custom Classes are designed to focus on your proprietary knowledge and unique equipment, processes, and needs. We can use your materials or create your classes from scratch—or a combination of the two.
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING
We offer more than 200 in-person classes that can be customized to your specific needs. Many incorporate hands-on learning with industrial-level training equipment for a real-world experience. View our ILT Catalog for details.
CERTIFICATIONS
Take advantage of industry-recognized Certifications in the most sought-after fields in manufacturing, from NIMS to lean, and much more, including:
• Lean Bronze, Silver, and Gold
• Certified Manufacturing Associate (CMfgA)
• Certified Manufacturing Technologist (CMfgT)
• Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE)
• Certified Additive Manufacturing-Fundamentals (CAM-F)
• Certified Additive Manufacturing-Technician (CAM-T)
LEARNING SERVICES
Tooling U-SME’s Learning Services is a full-service consulting team that helps manufacturers develop effective training programs. We work side-by-side with your human resources and training leaders, management, and front-line team members to build a training strategy that delivers a measurable return on investment. We begin with observing and analyzing your workforce to identify the gaps that are preventing you from reaching maximum performance, as well as assessing your organization’s readiness for building a learning culture. From there, we develop a complete strategy tied to your business goals