Training | ICSE Class 10 Commercial Studies Notes

This note covers training in business: what training means and how it differs from education and development, its objectives for the worker and the firm, the main methods of on-the-job training (apprenticeship, coaching, internship and job rotation) and off-the-job training (classroom lectures, conferences, case studies, role playing, vestibule training, simulation and programmed instruction), how to choose a method, and the steps in a training programme.

What is training?

Training is the process of teaching a worker the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to do a particular job well. It is job-centred: it aims at improving performance in the present or a planned future post.

A clerk taught to use accounting software, a machine operator taught safety rules and a salesperson taught how to handle complaints are all being trained.

Definition: training. Training is the organised process of developing in an employee the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for performing a specific job effectively.

Training must be separated from two related ideas. Education is broader and general: it develops the whole person and is not tied to one job.

Development is longer-term and prepares a person for larger responsibilities, such as a future managerial role. Training is the narrowest of the three and is the most closely tied to the tasks of a post.

Training is needed most when a person joins a firm, when the job changes because of new machines or software, when a worker is promoted, and when performance falls short of the standard expected.

It benefits both sides: the worker gains skill, confidence and a better chance of promotion, while the firm gains higher output, fewer errors and lower wastage.

What are the objectives of training?

Training is not an end in itself. A firm spends money on it because it expects clear results. The objectives can be grouped under the worker, the work and the organisation.

Objectives for the worker

Training raises the employee's skill and knowledge, so the work becomes easier and less tiring. It builds confidence, because a person who knows the correct method makes fewer mistakes. It improves the worker's chances of promotion and of earning more.

It also makes the worker more adaptable when the job changes, and safer, since trained workers follow safety rules and suffer fewer accidents.

Objectives for the work

Trained workers produce more and better output in the same time. Errors, rejections and wastage of material fall. The time taken to learn a job shortens, so a new recruit becomes useful sooner. Supervision becomes lighter, because a trained worker needs less watching.

Objectives for the organisation

Training reduces labour turnover, since workers who feel they are learning tend to stay. It builds a pool of capable people ready for higher posts, so the firm need not always look outside.

It improves the firm's image and its relations with employees. It also helps the firm keep up with new technology and methods.

Note: Training is an investment, not a cost. The money spent is expected to come back many times over in better output, fewer accidents and lower staff turnover.

What are the main methods of on-the-job training?

On-the-job training takes place at the workplace, while the worker is doing real work on real machines. The worker learns by doing, under the eye of a senior.

It is cheap, realistic and needs no separate training room, but it can pass on the bad habits of the trainer and may disturb regular production.

Apprenticeship

In apprenticeship, a learner works under a skilled craftsman for a fixed period, often several years, and learns the trade by assisting him. It suits trades such as fitting, welding, carpentry and electrical work.

The learner usually receives a small stipend. The method gives deep, practical skill, but the period is long and the training may be narrow.

Coaching

In coaching, a senior or supervisor guides one worker closely, corrects mistakes and gives feedback as work proceeds. It is personal and quick, and suits a new recruit or a worker whose performance has slipped. It fails if the coach is too busy or lacks teaching skill.

Internship

An internship is a short period, often during a course of study, in which a student works in a firm to gain practical experience.

The intern learns the routines of the workplace and the firm gets an extra pair of hands and a chance to spot talent. The intern is usually paid little or nothing.

Job rotation

In job rotation, a worker is moved from one department or post to another over a period, so that he learns several jobs.

It gives a wide view of the firm and prepares the worker for a higher post, but each move interrupts continuity and the worker may never become expert at any one job.

Draw two boxes side by side. In the left box, labelled "On the job", draw a worker at a machine with a senior standing beside him, and list below: apprenticeship, coaching, internship, job rotation.

In the right box, labelled "Off the job", draw a classroom with a trainer at a board and learners at desks, and list below: lecture, conference, case study, role playing, vestibule training, simulation, programmed instruction.

What are the main methods of off-the-job training?

Off-the-job training takes place away from the workplace, in a classroom, training centre or institute. The worker is released from normal duties for the period.

The training is planned and systematic, and the trainer is usually a specialist, but it costs more and what is learnt may be hard to apply back on the job.

Classroom lectures

In a lecture, a trainer explains facts and rules to a group. It is cheap for large groups and useful for theory, but learners are passive and the trainer cannot check each person's understanding.

Conferences and seminars

In a conference, a group of employees and specialists meet to discuss a problem or a theme. Ideas are exchanged and participants learn from one another. It suits managers and supervisors, but it needs skilled leadership to stay on the point.

Case study

In the case study method, learners are given a written account of a real business problem and asked to analyse it and suggest a solution. It builds judgement and the habit of weighing alternatives. It works best when the case is realistic and the discussion is guided.

Role playing

In role playing, learners act out a situation, such as a salesperson facing an angry customer, taking different parts. It builds confidence and skill in dealing with people. Some learners feel shy or find the acting artificial.

Vestibule training

In vestibule training, a copy of the actual workplace is set up in a separate room, with the same machines, and the learner practises there before joining the real shop floor.

It gives realistic practice without spoiling production or risking injury, but it costs money to set up and the copy is never quite the real thing.

Simulation

In simulation, a model of the real work situation is created, often on a computer, and learners take decisions and see the results. It allows mistakes without real loss. It is expensive to build and may not match the real world exactly.

Programmed instruction

In programmed instruction, the subject is broken into small steps, each followed by a question. The learner checks his answer at once and moves on only when correct. It lets each person learn at his own pace, but it suits facts and rules better than skills of dealing with people.

How does a firm choose a training method?

No single method suits every case. A firm weighs several factors before choosing, and the choice is a matter of matching the method to the skill, the learner and the risk.

1. Decide the skill to be learnt: a manual trade points to apprenticeship or vestibule training, while a matter of judgement points to case study or role playing.
2. Count the number to be trained: a large group is cheaper to reach by lecture, while one person is better coached individually.
3. Check the time available: a short break in work favours coaching or a lecture, while a long period allows apprenticeship or job rotation.
4. Weigh the cost against the benefit: vestibule training and simulation cost more to set up and are used where the risk or the value is high.
5. Consider the risk of learning on the real job: where a mistake could injure a worker or spoil costly material, off-the-job practice is safer.
6. Match the learner's level: workers learn best by doing, while managers gain more from case studies and conferences.

The usual practice is to combine methods. A new machine operator may first attend a lecture on safety, then practise in a vestibule, and finally be coached on the shop floor.

A firm that ignores these factors may spend heavily on a method that does not fit. A long apprenticeship for a simple packing task wastes time, while a single lecture for a delicate manual trade leaves the learner without skill.

Worked example 1. A firm has 40 new packers who must learn a simple packing routine within one week, at low cost. Which method should it choose?

Answer: The skill is simple, the group is large and the time is short. A lecture with a demonstration, followed by a short spell of coaching on the line, reaches all 40 cheaply.

Apprenticeship would take years and vestibule training would need a costly copy of the line. The firm should choose a lecture with demonstration and follow-up coaching.

Worked example 2. A bank wants to train 10 branch managers in handling difficult customers. Mistakes with real customers would harm the bank's reputation. Which method should it choose?

Answer: The skill is one of judgement and dealing with people, the group is small, and mistakes on the job are costly. Role playing and case studies let the managers practise and discuss without risk to real customers.

A lecture alone would not build the skill. The bank should choose role playing supported by case studies.

Worked example 3. A factory must train welders for a trade that needs deep, practical skill. Which method should it choose?

Answer: Welding is a manual trade learnt by long practice under a skilled hand. Apprenticeship gives the learner years of guided work under a craftsman and builds deep skill. A short lecture or a case study cannot build it. The factory should choose apprenticeship.

Worked example 4. A firm wants a young clerk to learn the work of the accounts, stores and sales departments so that he can later become a supervisor. Which method should it choose?

Answer: The aim is a wide view of the firm rather than deep skill in one task. Job rotation moves the clerk through each department in turn, so he learns how they fit together. Coaching in one department would leave him narrow. The firm should choose job rotation.

What are the advantages and limitations of each method?

Every method has merits and disadvantages, and a firm weighs them before choosing. The table below sets out the advantages and limitations of the main methods.

On-the-job methods as a group are cheap and realistic, but they can pass on a trainer's bad habits and may disturb regular production. Off-the-job methods are planned and systematic, with a specialist trainer, but they cost more and what is learnt may be hard to apply back on the job.

A wise firm therefore does not rely on one method alone. It matches the method to the skill, the learner and the risk, and often combines an off-the-job introduction with on-the-job practice.

Going beyond the syllabus

These ideas extend the unit and are not needed for the questions on it.

Firms often blend methods into a single programme rather than relying on one. A new recruit may attend an induction lecture, spend a week in each department on rotation, and then be coached at his own desk. Each method covers what the others miss: the lecture gives the general picture, rotation gives breadth, and coaching gives close correction of mistakes.

Modern firms also use online modules, which are a form of programmed instruction, and virtual simulation for tasks that are costly or dangerous to practise for real. A trainee pilot or a crane operator can make mistakes in a simulator without any loss of life or material, and repeat the exercise until the method is right.

Whatever the blend, the test of a training programme is the same: whether the trainee can do the job better afterwards. A programme that is never evaluated, and never revised for the next group, is money spent without a check on the result.

What are the steps in a training programme?

A training programme is planned in stages, so that the money spent brings a result. Each stage feeds the next, and the last stage looks back to the first.

1. Identify the training need by comparing the skill required with the skill the workers have, using records, tests and supervisors' reports.
2. Set clear objectives: state what the trainee should be able to do after training.
3. Choose the method, on-the-job or off-the-job, in the light of the skill, the number, the time and the cost.
4. Prepare the trainer and the material: select a skilled trainer and arrange machines, notes or cases.
5. Carry out the training, keeping a record of attendance and progress.
6. Evaluate the result by testing the trainee and comparing output, errors and accidents before and after.
7. Follow up on the job, correcting what was not learnt and revising the programme for the next group.

Glossary

• Training: the organised process of teaching an employee the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for a specific job.
• Education: broad, general learning that develops the whole person and is not tied to one job.
• Development: long-term growth that prepares an employee for larger responsibilities in the future.
• On-the-job training: training given at the workplace while the worker does real work on real machines.
• Off-the-job training: training given away from the workplace, in a classroom, centre or institute.
• Apprenticeship: a long period of learning a trade by working under a skilled craftsman.
• Coaching: close, personal guidance of one worker by a senior, with correction and feedback.
• Internship: a short period of practical work in a firm, often during a course of study.
• Job rotation: moving a worker through several departments or posts so that he learns several jobs.
• Vestibule training: practice on a copy of the actual workplace, set up in a separate room, before joining the real shop floor.
• Case study: a method in which learners analyse a written account of a real business problem and suggest a solution.
• Role playing: a method in which learners act out a situation, taking different parts, to build skill in dealing with people.
• Simulation: a model of the real work situation in which learners take decisions and see the results.
• Programmed instruction: self-paced learning in small steps, each followed by a question with an immediate answer check.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: Training, education and development mean the same thing. Correct: Training is job-centred and short term, education is broad and general, and development prepares a person for larger future roles.
• Misconception: On-the-job training is always better because it is cheap. Correct: It is cheap and realistic, but it can pass on a trainer's bad habits and may disturb regular production.
• Misconception: Vestibule training is on-the-job training because it uses the same machines. Correct: It is an off-the-job method: the machines are the same, but the practice takes place in a separate room away from the real work floor.
• Misconception: Training is a cost with no return. Correct: It is an investment that brings better output, fewer errors and accidents, and lower labour turnover.
• Misconception: One method suits every situation. Correct: The method is chosen by the skill, the number to be trained, the time, the cost and the risk of learning on the real job.
• Misconception: Training ends when the course ends. Correct: A programme is followed by evaluation and follow-up on the job, and revised for the next group.
• Misconception: Apprenticeship is a quick method. Correct: It runs for a fixed period, often several years, and gives deep practical skill in a trade.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. Define training. [2 marks]

1. Training is the organised process of teaching an employee the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to do a particular job well.
2. It is job-centred and aims at improving performance in the present or a planned future post.

Q2. State any two objectives of training for the worker. [2 marks]

1. It raises the worker's skill and knowledge, so the work becomes easier and less tiring.
2. It builds confidence and improves the worker's chances of promotion and of earning more.

Q3. Distinguish between on-the-job and off-the-job training, giving two points of difference. [4 marks]

1. Place: on-the-job training is given at the workplace while the worker does real work; off-the-job training is given away from the workplace, in a classroom, centre or institute.
2. Cost and realism: on-the-job training is cheap and realistic but can pass on a trainer's bad habits and disturb production; off-the-job training is planned and systematic with a specialist trainer, but costs more and may be hard to apply back on the job.

Q4. Explain apprenticeship and job rotation as methods of training. [4 marks]

1. Apprenticeship: a learner works under a skilled craftsman for a fixed period, often several years, and learns the trade by assisting him; it suits trades such as fitting, welding and electrical work, gives deep practical skill, but the period is long and the training may be narrow.
2. Job rotation: a worker is moved from one department or post to another over a period, so that he learns several jobs; it gives a wide view of the firm and prepares him for a higher post, but each move interrupts continuity and he may never become expert at any one job.

Q5. Explain any three off-the-job methods of training. [6 marks]

1. Lecture: a trainer explains facts and rules to a group; it is cheap for large groups and useful for theory, but learners are passive and the trainer cannot check each person's understanding.
2. Case study: learners are given a written account of a real business problem and asked to analyse it and suggest a solution; it builds judgement and the habit of weighing alternatives, and works best when the case is realistic and the discussion is guided.
3. Role playing: learners act out a situation, such as a salesperson facing an angry customer, taking different parts; it builds confidence and skill in dealing with people, though some learners feel shy or find the acting artificial.

Q6. A firm has 40 new packers who must learn a simple packing routine within one week at low cost. Which training method should it choose, and why? [5 marks]

1. The skill is simple and routine, so it can be taught by explanation and demonstration.
2. The group is large, and a lecture reaches all 40 at low cost per head.
3. The time is short, so a long method such as apprenticeship, which runs for years, does not fit.
4. Vestibule training would need a costly copy of the packing line, which a simple routine does not justify.
5. A lecture with demonstration, followed by a short spell of coaching on the line to correct mistakes as the packers work, is the right choice, because it is quick, cheap and enough for a simple skill.

Q7. Explain the objectives of training. [6 marks]

1. To raise the skill and knowledge of the employee, so that the work becomes easier, less tiring and better done.
2. To build the confidence of the worker and improve the chances of promotion and higher earnings.
3. To increase output and quality, so that errors, rejections and wastage of material fall.
4. To shorten the time a new recruit takes to learn the job and to make supervision lighter.
5. To reduce accidents, because trained workers follow safety rules, and to reduce labour turnover, because workers who are learning tend to stay.
6. To build a pool of capable people for higher posts and to help the firm keep up with new technology and methods.

Key takeaways

• Training teaches the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for a specific job, and is narrower than education or development.
• It benefits the worker through skill, confidence and promotion, and the firm through output, quality and lower turnover.
• On-the-job training is given at the workplace on real work; it is cheap and realistic but can pass on bad habits.
• Apprenticeship, coaching, internship and job rotation are the main on-the-job methods of training a worker.
• Off-the-job training is given away from work, is planned and systematic, but costs more and may be hard to apply.
• Lectures, conferences, case studies, role playing, vestibule training, simulation and programmed instruction are the main off-the-job methods.
• The method is chosen by the skill, the number to be trained, the time, the cost and the risk of learning on the job.
• A training programme runs from identifying the need, through objectives, method and training, to evaluation and follow-up.

Test yourself

How does training differ from education?

Training is job-centred and teaches the skills needed for a particular post. Education is broader and general, develops the whole person, and is not tied to one job.

Name any three on-the-job methods of training.

Apprenticeship, coaching and job rotation. Internship is also an on-the-job method.

What is vestibule training?

It is practice on a copy of the actual workplace, with the same machines, set up in a separate room, so that the learner practises before joining the real shop floor.

Which method breaks the subject into small steps with a question after each?

Programmed instruction. The learner checks his answer at once and moves on only when correct, so he learns at his own pace.

Why does training reduce labour turnover?

Workers who feel they are learning and improving tend to stay with the firm, so fewer of them leave and the cost of replacing staff falls.

Which method suits training managers in handling difficult customers without risk?

Role playing, supported by case studies. Managers act out situations and discuss real problems without harming actual customers.

What is the last step of a training programme?

Follow-up on the job, correcting what was not learnt and revising the programme for the next group, after the result has been evaluated.