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www.johnstark.com |
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Experience shows that, particularly early on when the overall level of system knowledge is low, it is very difficult for users to apply their newly found skills to everyday work. Unless suitable work is available, they will rapidly forget what they learned. Even if suitable work is available, they will quickly find themselves unable to solve relatively simple problems that were outside the scope of the training course. There is a need for transition phases between training and unsupported everyday use of the system. The progression starts with a theoretical introduction to system use, followed by hands-on training. Then the user must be able to practice with examples that are drawn from typical use, but are not part of the current workload. During this period, support should be available on call. Similarly, in the next phase, that of starting to work on 'real' tasks, support needs to be at hand. If a problem arises, the user needs to be able to find assistance rapidly. Otherwise time will be lost, mistakes will be made, and despondency will set in. The CAD/CAM/CAE Manager needs to develop plans so that at the end of the training period CAD/CAM/CAE resources and suitable work are available for the trainees. In some cases this may imply that a workstation be scheduled (either full time or part time) specifically for this activity. The speed with which knowledge gained during training can be forgotten has implications for the number of users to be trained. There is little point in training a huge number of users if they will not be able to put their training into practice. |