The Problem
Telecom provider needed Plain Old Telephone Service training for new field service crew. While they had existing training, it was not well-documented. With instructors nearing retirement age, they needed to move quickly to preserve their intellectual property.
Another problem related to testing. The Union rejected the idea that new-hires needed to pass a Final Test before they could begin their work assignments. But supervisors wanted to see proof that their trainees knew how to perform job-related tasks.
Prometheus Approach/Solution
Analysis showed that each instructor did the POTS courses a bit differently – but they didn’t realize it.
We worked with the instructor team to create a common curriculum that contained the best approaches from all of the instructors. We documented the content so new instructors could rotate in as the existing instructors retired. We identified some skill sets that had inadequate practice exercise sets associated with them – and worked with the instructors to create new ones.
We worked with the Training Department to redefine its approach to testing, so as to be acceptable to the Union while still meeting the needs of supervisors.
For this, we created a portfolio of observational checklists, tied to each of the basic tasks that a new field service crewperson would be expected to perform. While in training, the crewperson was expected to perform the items on each checklist successfully under the supervision of a trainer. If the crewperson was unable to perform successfully, the trainer would remediate on the spot and the crewperson would be allowed to try again, until eventually they had mastered the task. No crewperson was dismissed from training until each task was mastered. But there was no “Final Test” for the Union to object to.
Special Skills/Software
- Instructional Design
- Assessment Design
Result/Benefit to Client
Supervisors could rest assured that every new field service crewperson reporting for duty was proven to be able to perform the required tasks.
New-Hire Field Service Crew had a solid foundation of skills by the end of their training period.
Training Department was pleased to have documented courses, based on Best Practices, which could be taught by new as well as existing trainers.
For more information about this project, please contact us.