Training a tech-savvy workforce

Having held back during the downturn, organisations are now starting to increase their spending on information technology (IT) infrastructure. According to a forecast by research firm IDC, worldwide IT spending is set to increase by 3.8% this year, reaching a total of US$1.47 trillion.

But investing in equipment alone will not promise increased productivity and profits. Organisations need to ensure their employees are aware of the latest developments so they can get the most out of new equipment. IT training providers offer a variety of courses and certifications to help get staff up to speed.

Vasakee Paul, Assistant Director of NTUC LearningHub, says the constant evolution of the technology industry means regular training is often a must. “Technology is ever changing and certifications help staff to utilise evolving technologies, fine-tune their trouble shooting skills, and improve job satisfaction,” she tells HRM.

Jonathan Lee, Senior Manager, Alliance and Consulting, Training Partners, agrees. Trained employees make fewer mistakes, offer better service, and are able to complete work on time or in a shorter time frame, he says.

Technology plays a pivotal role in the operations of leading package delivery company, UPS. Its IT systems cover all aspects of its operations including shipping, tracking and delivery. Indeed, the company invests US$1 billion in technology every year, with a significant part of those funds channelled towards regular hardware upgrades. In-house training sessions are conducted regularly to equip staff with the relevant skills needed to use the technology.

Eunice Goh, HR Manager, UPS Singapore, says IT training helps its employees better understand technology and improve existing processes. “This helps our employees to do their jobs better and faster, enabling UPS to save on man-hours, leading to a more productive workforce.”

IT training has also helped streamline work processes at the Singapore Marriott Hotel. Several associates from its accounting department recently participated in a course teaching advanced data retrieval and analysis functions and tools in Microsoft Excel. Yasmin Akhtar, Marriott’s HR Director, says this investment in specific IT skills is already paying off. “Being familiar and competent with the software helps them be more effective in their daily work as they can perform time-saving tasks on generating reports, analysing figures and consolidating data,” she notes.

Assessing gaps

New technology naturally comes with the need for news skills for the staff slated to use it. Companies need to be able to identify and plug training gaps early on, in order to reap the maximum benefits from their IT investments.

Training needs can be assessed either through one-on-one employee interviews, or through questionnaires. Management can also observe employees at work and see what processes could be done more efficiently. Customised training paths can be developed according to the existing skills and knowledge displayed by employees.

Once the real needs are determined, organisations can select the most appropriate mode of lesson delivery. Apart from instructor-led training, IT training providers offer a host of other options for passing that vital information to the staff that need it. These include self-paced e-learning, as well as “live” virtual classrooms.

The effectiveness of training can be assessed through post-course satisfaction surveys. Employers can also come up with tangible metrics to evaluate the performance of employees before and after a training session to make note of the improvements.

Training Partners has developed a framework to guide companies assessing their IT training gaps. It first conducts a training needs analysis to define training needs, based on a specific departmental or job role. This is followed by a “Skill Audit” where any skill gaps are clinically determined. These are then addressed through direct training. Lastly a post-training assessment is conducted to monitor the knowledge gained during the workshops.

As each organisation’s IT policies and procedures are unique, most service providers customise course offerings according to specific needs and use relatable scenarios to get their ideas across.

Courses in demand

IT training service providers offer a multitude of courses that meet different business needs. These run the full IT gamut from basic skills in Microsoft Office to more technical certifications in areas such as networking and data communications.

Popular courses at NTUC LearningHub focus on key business and organisational functions such as IT service management, information security, and project management. Employers also seek IT certifications endorsed by technology giants such as Microsoft and Cisco. Some examples of these include the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator, and Cisco Certified Network Associate qualifications.

According to Paul, employers typically send their IT engineers for training when there are new product launches or if the organisation acquires new technology. She has also observed that more non-engineers are now attending new courses, seeking greater knowledge in the field of IT.

At Training Partners, technical courses are available in so-called “new” technology such as virtualisation, unified communications as well as voice and video over internet protocols. Lee says demand for these learning opportunities has been growing in recent months as more people from the database administration and systems integration fields switch to roles in networking and communications. “These people were previously trained in Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Oracle, but are now picking up Cisco networking knowledge and certification,” he said.

In-house trainers are also attending skills upgrading courses to keep abreast of the latest modes of lesson delivery. Courses at Training Partners teach them how to use online web-conferencing tools like WebEx as well prepare materials and facilitate discussion in a virtual classroom setting.