Training individuals to the highest standards and maximising their potential is crucial.

 

As a technical professional, everything in our working world; from our tools, equipment, modes of transport, to our medical solutions, depends on the proper training of the people who manufacture and design them. 

 

Training is both costly and complex, requiring adherence to standards, passing exams and practical tests, and years of experience.

It is imperative that we invest in our staff, the business, and ourselves to produce the best and most reliable products. Some industries manufacture products that demand absolute precision and care to meet specifications, such as ensuring an aircraft maintains the ability to fly for its intended lifespan or that a replacement hip joint withstands the stresses placed upon it to allow a human being a new lease of life; to once more cycle without pain, or to climb a mountain.

As engineers and trainers, we make these achievements possible. This requires passing on our skills and knowledge to the next generation of engineers to ensure they become professional engineers.

I train individuals in a variety of disciplines, from teaching young engineers at a university to use tools for the first time, to instructing academics on how to improve their business through Health and Safety. I also train technicians and engineers in product maintenance and improvement through the use of special processes. 

I train police officers and other professionals in working in high-risk environments such as motorways. I teach people how to resolve and de-escalate conflict.

 

Despite their diverse nature, all these areas share a common thread: the transfer of skills and experience to students, candidates, and delegates, regardless of their chosen profession.

The key factor in training these individuals and organisations is to remember that our shared objective is to enhance their knowledge in a given subject. 

 

As trainers, we must strive to enthuse individuals with a willingness to contribute by learning. Learning is essential.

 

For me, enthusiasm and an interest in the subject matter are crucial. If I am not interested and enthused by the subject, how can I expect my students to be engaged?

There are potentially areas for improvement in our delivery methods:

• Be engaging. We work in an exceptionally interesting industry with the most fascinating product – engineering. It is endlessly intriguing and full of areas to explore.

• Enhance your voice. Use pitch, tone, and volume to emphasise and enthuse. Nobody wants to listen to a monotone presentation from somebody who plainly doesn’t care. 

• Share your engineering experiences with students. There is virtually nothing you cannot find online. The same applies to students. It is the additional information and understanding you provide that makes your training valuable. They cannot read about your personal experiences in a textbook. That experience is what they are paying for. Make it memorable.

• Relate new concepts to existing knowledge. The ability to make a new or complex subject relatable can significantly enhance understanding. Students learn more quickly and retain information better when they have a framework to connect new concepts to.

• Create an environment where mistakes are viewed as natural stepping stones to greater understanding. It should be a safe environment to make mistakes.

• Manage cognitive load by designing training packages that include information in small, manageable steps. A useful system is the premise of “Simple to Complex”, where we begin with a simple concept and gradually layer it with complicating factors as students’ understanding and confidence grow. 

The standards we live and work by are crucial to effective training. Given our limitations, it is essential to receive training that meets the appropriate standards. Documents exist to guide our actions and industries, clearly defining acceptable practice. For example, training in specialist subjects such as Shot Peening is considered a critical special process by auditing authorities such as NADCAP. This document stipulates that technicians and engineers must meet qualification and training standards, and gives clear guidance on who is competent to deliver such training.

 

Our efforts, experiences, and enthusiasm make up the personal training experience that organisations pay for. It is the reason we receive referrals and repeat business. Our customers know we can deliver. Constantly and consistently. Just like the aerospace industry. 

 

Training is vital for the ongoing performance and sustainability of our products and for ensuring the next generation has enough qualified engineers. The two are intrinsically linked, and we all have a responsibility for making that happen. 

Trainer Column

by Nick Ellicott, 

Official MFN Trainer

more information at www.mfn.li/workshop/trainers