Training in pneumatics and hydraulics is more effective

For training to be effective, the right knowledge and skills need to imparted to the right people in the workforce. Festo Didactic is therefore launching a new Training Needs Assessment Service. This provides organisations with a view on the skills required for it to run effectively, together with analysis of the current skills available in the workforce. Gary Wyles, Managing Director of Festo Didactic, comments: "We can now ensure that every training course is delivered to maximum effect, by identifying specific skills shortages, dynamically tailoring courses to redress these shortages and fully engaging participants. This type of analysis is one that many organisations know they need, but either cannot find the time or are too close to the working environment to carry out effectively. Because of this, many training budgets are not utilised effectively and businesses fail to see the expected improvements."

A second new service is targeted at helping participants make best use of their newly acquired skills in the workplace. Gary Wyles explains: "Training needs to be part of a process - not a single event - otherwise it will be of little long-term benefit; without proper guidance, most people only retain about 20 per cent of the knowledge they gain on training courses, and then only for about one month! Which is why we now offer customers the option of a Post Course Clinic. The Post Course Clinic is run by the trainer on the customer's site a few weeks after training is completed. The objective is to ensure that skills and knowledge from the training are implemented in the workplace. The service encompasses a number of activities, including a formal review of the training, and provides a chance to visit participants at their workplace, answer any questions they might have, and coach them in applying their new skills."

Better return on investment in training

Festo Didactic has developed this new approach to training partly in response to customer demands for an increased ROI on training, and partly because of the Lord Leitch report Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills. Published at the end of 2006, this Government-commissioned independent review of the UK's long-term skills needs reached some alarming conclusions. The review found that compared to the average UK worker, French, German and US workers are 20, 13 and 18 per cent more productive, respectively. It attributes at least 20 per cent of this productivity gap to the UK's relatively poor skills, and recommended that the UK commit itself to a target of becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, which means doubling attainment at most levels of skill.

Festo Didactic is launching a new training course catalogue that details over 46 courses covering all aspects of automation technology training - from circuit design to fault-finding and diagnostics. The courses generally run for three days, and incorporate a blend of practical exercises developed across more than 2500 courses with 42,000 participants per annum.

For more information, visit www.festo-didactic.co.uk.