On-the-Job Training Methods

On-the-job training is given at the actual place of work, using the real machines, tools, materials and documents the employee will use once trained, under conditions close to their normal working conditions. It is generally less costly to arrange (no separate training area is needed) and gives the trainee genuinely realistic experience, though a trainee's early mistakes can, in some jobs, disrupt production or damage equipment.

The common on-the-job methods:

• Job rotation. The trainee is systematically moved from one job (or department) to another over a period of time, spending enough time at each to understand its work. This builds a broad, well-rounded understanding of how different parts of the organisation function and connect, and is especially useful for management trainees who will eventually need to coordinate across departments.
• Coaching. An experienced senior employee or supervisor personally guides a trainee, explaining how tasks are to be performed, observing the trainee's work, and giving direct, ongoing feedback and correction. Coaching works well because the guidance is continuous and tailored to the individual trainee's specific mistakes and progress.
• Understudy / apprenticeship. A trainee (the "understudy") works closely alongside a skilled, experienced worker or manager over an extended period, learning the trade gradually by observing and assisting, with the eventual aim of being able to take over that role. This method is common for skilled trades and craft-based jobs where genuine competence can only be built through prolonged, hands-on exposure.
• Job instruction training (JIT). A structured, step-by-step method in which the trainer first explains and demonstrates the job in a logical sequence of steps, the trainee then performs the job under supervision while being corrected, and finally performs it independently once competence is confirmed. Because it breaks the job into a defined sequence, JIT is especially useful for jobs that consist of a clear set of repeatable operations, such as an assembly-line task. …