Basic HTML Version
31
THE ESSENTIALS OF TRAINING
MAY/JUNE 2012 | www.footwearbiz.com
machinists up to speed, it may be best
to set up a dedicated facility. It is
often hard to judge if somebody has
the aptitude to be a good machinist
during formal selection. Another
approach, therefore, is to have an
intensive one or two day practical
selection, which is in effect the first
day or two of the training
programme. A good instructor will be
able to tell very quickly who is
unlikely to make a good machinist.
While this is not cheap, it is better
than having one third of the group
leave after three weeks of expensive
training.
MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Managers at all levels cannot be
expected to manage effectively unless
they possess the knowledge and
experience necessary to carry out
their assigned rolls. Even large multi-
nationals are often ill-equipped to
carry out effective management
training at anything above fairly basic
levels. Many managers are therefore
hired ready trained in either general
management techniques and/or a
specialist field such as law and
finance. They will usually be
graduates from universities or
business schools and their further
development will usually involve
attending specialised courses outside
the company. Experience will show
which organisations offer the most
suitable programmes but the decision
on who to select will still depend on
the same criteria as production staff.
One important area that is often
neglected is that of providing new
management recruits with a basic
grounding in shoemaking. It is still
possible to find people making major
decisions in footwear companies who
have only a scant knowledge of what
is involved. Depending on their
position and function, the degree of
knowledge needed will vary but, if a
young manager starts out properly, he
will make a better senior manager
later on. It is also a fact that you
cannot fool employees; they will
show little respect for a manager who
does not understand even the basics.
RECRUITMENT AND MORALE
It is essential to ensure all trainees are
made fully aware of how fortunate they
are. We should never underestimate a
person’s need to learn and develop their
own expertise; it can be highly
motivating. Some of the biggest
international corporations allocate an
annual allowance which can be spent by
each individual on their own training. It
often has to be approved by an
immediate superior but requests can
normally only be turned down if the next
level of management agrees. Such a
policy gives each individual a significant
degree of ownership of their personal
development.
Finally, it is only to be expected that new
levels of expertise and practical skills will
in turn generate an appetite for progress
and promotion. Failure to recognise this
will merely result in spending money on
training for another employer’s benefit. If
the aim is to have better employees, their
newly acquired skills and knowledge
must be put to good use. If not, they are
quite likely to leave and join a more
progressive competitor.