1. Training Needs Analysis

2. Without the right skills and targeted investment in learning opportunities an organisation cannot hope to compete successfully. In a recent survey it was found that: 22% of employers say that the skills of their workforce are not of the standard required. The lack of basic skills costs a typical business, of 50 employees, $400000 per year.

3. Training needs analysis • In Australia approximately $3.5 billion is spent on training each year by employers, but this may not be used effectively. In 2001 the spend on training in the USA was estimated to be $56.8 billion and 50% of this training had not been used one year later and was unlikely to ever be used. A carefully designed Training Needs Analysis can prevent skills shortages and the wasting of finance on inappropriate or unnecessary training.

5. The Learning Cycle is a continuous process which consists of the following elements: Identification of Learning Needs: The process by which organisations and individuals systematically investigate current and future learning requirements in relation to the operating environment. Learning Design: The development of an intervention (training, job rotation, etc) to address the identified learning needs. Delivery of Learning Programme: The implementation of the learning intervention at individual, group or organisational levels.

6. Introducing the system A common trait among Australian workers is resistance to change. But business is becoming more globalised due to the comparative ease of competing in foreign markets and the availability of cheaper labour and materials. From a marketing perspective, this is great news. It means managers have the ability to source from and sell to a wide variety of target markets. From a change‑averse perspective, this is unsettling. It means change is more frequent and competitive advantages last for a shorter time than in previous generations.

7. Evaluation Learning Evaluation: Without evaluation we do not know if the investment in learning has had the desired result.

8. Team Needs Within a team or a department there are needs which may be specific to that group of people. It is also the case that those needs may not be observable or apparent to other parts of the organisation. Learning needs arise within teams, groups and departments and these should be addressed on a collective basis. Team leaders or heads of departments will have responsibility for performance in their areas and may also have responsibility for training and development.

9. The value of immediate, relevant data and knowledge is therefore higher now than in previous years. Keeping those within the organisation motivated to not only use the information provided, but add to the knowledge base, is an evolving and important area of management.

10. Introducing the system • When a new system is introduced into your workplace it is generally greeted with scepticism, with comments such as, ‘Why is this going to be better than what we already use?’ or ‘I know what I’m doing with the current system, it works fine.’ • As a manager introducing a new system you need to promote it to the workforce and have mechanisms in place (such as training) to support the users initially through the implementation phase and then throughout the life of the system. Methods of introduction depend upon the intended users, but could include the following:

11. Introducing the system • notice board advisory (manual or electronic) • change management plan (usually released in the form of a letter to staff from a senior manager) • media release to promote the company and gain loyalty • collaborative action planning to gain buy-in from department heads and other staff • specific meetings.

12. Introducing the system Any significant change should not be announced without warning of an impending reason for the change. This has two benefits: it reduces the resistance to the change when it is announced, and it can generate ideas from the workforce that may not have been considered previously.

13. Promoting system • The conventional approach to introducing an information system is for managers to identify an ‘off-the-shelf ’ system or engage system analysts to build a proprietary system. The system is then presented to the users through presentations, demonstrations and training. Unless the presentation is very well-designed and engages the users, this approach can enhance the negativity towards change as some users may feel this new system is being forced upon them.