Training in the Manufacturing Sector: An Introduction

The budget for online training has climbed by 58%, and organizations are spending much less (by 37%) on in-person ILT, according to the 2020 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report. This fact is relevant to eLearning in manufacturing.

So, if you're in the manufacturing industry and want to teach your staff digitally, your first concern might be how to transition from traditional classrooms to online ones. What unique characteristics should be taken into account, particularly for eLearning in manufacturing?

A sizable portion of the business workforce has been working from home since the COVID-19 crisis. And the manufacturing sector is also affected by this. Employees have been dealing with safety procedures and learning how to use Zoom or Skype meetings since leaving the manufacturing floors and on-site visits.

The industrial sector has now come to the realization that no matter the circumstance, they cannot stop adding value and upskilling learners. Yes, you must continue workplace training until the issue is resolved. Additionally, the incorporation of eLearning in manufacturing has grown necessary as classroom ILT virtually becomes obsolete.

1. Collaborate with a dependable e-learning platform (LMS) supplier

   There are some prerequisites for manufacturing-related online training. As a resolt, your LMS provider must be knowledgeable enough to walk you through the procedure. We advise you to inquire with any possible vendors. Will they offer administrative staff and employees in your company hands-on training in addition to the LMS so that everyone knows how to utilise the programme?
   
   Do they provide advice for implementation? Ask them whether they will assist you in internal marketing your L&D program and new LMS. Ask them if they provide useful how-to videos and self-help books as well. Asking your LMS vendor about customer service would be beneficial.
   
   How often does the LMS supplier update their LMS? What method do they employ? Yes is PlayAblo's response to each of these inquiries! Additionally, you should probably think about how you would use your LMS for compliance-based safety training when it comes to elearning in manufacturing.

2. Determine whether your LMS provider can update your current legacy content.

   Electronic learning is a new idea in the industrial industry. The industry had been relying primarily on conventional offline courses until recently. Therefore, it should be no surprise that your organization already has various training resources in the form of Word documents, Powerpoint PPTs, PDFs, and booklets.
   
   You won't squander your time if you choose the correct eLearning in manufacturing vendor, though. You don't have to rewrite your entire training program from the beginning when you use PlayAblo. Your outdated content can be repurposed and consolidated to fit within a mobile-based interface. In other words, ppt can be easily converted to mobile learning.

3. Go Mobile

   Millennials now make up the majority of the workforce in organizations. The manufacturing sector is not any different in this regard. When it comes to their preferred learning styles, millennials typically like brief, concise courses that are broken up into micro-chunks. It makes learning and memory retention simpler. Choose a vendor who has the know-how to provide mobile-based eLearning as a result.
   Social or group learning is possible with m-learning. The learners will be effectively engaged in the necessary concepts and abilities if diverse methodologies, such as videos, podcasts, brief assessments, and reading research papers, are used in one unified medium for workplace learning.

4. Think live classes

   You might fear that your current instructors won't have jobs when you switch from in-person instruction to digital learning. Well, the idea of "live classrooms" in eLearning has actually addressed this problem. If your end goal is to transform your online learning platform into a complete education environment, live video sessions and interactive virtual classrooms are essential. You will want a platform with software integration capabilities that lets trainers run virtual sessions.

5. Know your firm’s learning goals

   The learning objectives of your organization and the plan for achieving them should be understood before you even begin the process of looking for an eLearning in manufacturing software. The goals are different for a manufacturing company than those in other sectors. Ask your team, for instance, how your organization's learning and development program aids in achieving those objectives.
   
   What abilities would it take for your team to accomplish those objectives? Have you considered your employees' knowledge needs, preferences, skills, and weaknesses? What are the most effective methods for training your personnel, considering your company's long-term goals? You should also evaluate the efficacy of your teaching strategies. Decide on your strategy for continuously enhancing the learning and development programme at your place of business.

6. Talk about the focal points

   Your overall learning approach would benefit if you additionally focused on addressing the key issues surrounding eLearning in manufacturing. Who, for instance, is your target market? Will you train your entire organization, contractors, vendors, visitors, suppliers, customers, or just your employees?
   
   What training disciplines do you need to concentrate on? Onboarding a new employee or compliance instruction? Do you need to train your employees to carry out their current or upcoming job duties? Is it your ultimate goal to foster an inventive, flexible, agile, and adaptable workplace culture? Do you want to give your employees the tools they need to create and spread the information that leads to change?
   
   The final purpose of your training program's online components must also be considered. Your learning management system (LMS) and any other online learning courses you utilize must both be considered in this situation. You might also consider developing a blended learning solution using your online training courses and additional training exercises.

7. Establish a task force

   Take the following into careful consideration as well. Complete the work of your various LMS administrators. Give them a share of the authority and perks. Next, decide who will be learning: employees, the wider company, or clients. Will you provide the option for your students to upload and share user-generated instructional materials? Do you want your staff to view and complete only the formal training that has been allocated to them? Or would you prefer they had access to your full training collection?

8. Think about the tools

   The next important step is to choose your learning tools. What features will your LMS have? Do you want to incorporate elements that support mentorship, discussion boards, and other similar collaboration types? Will you use a learning curation platform to include external learning content? What about an LMS that uses artificial intelligence to allow training assignment customization? Can you offer advice on what each employee should learn? To sum up, do you want to select an LMS that has appropriate mobile apps for mobile learning and mobile performance assistance?
   
   The subject matter of the lesson must also be taken into account. What types of training materials are you interested in receiving online? Have you considered using online tools to assign tasks, inform staff, organize meetings, award completion credits, and exchange reports? Would you like to combine your LMS with programs like HRIS, ERP, CRM, and shopping carts, among others? Which e-learning standard— SCORM or xAPI — does your LMS need to comply with?

9. Make the features final

   Making a decision regarding your LMS features is the final step. Do you prefer a network-installed or cloud-based eLearning platform? Do you want to deploy your LMS in the cloud or on your company network? Take a look at the user interface. It's fine to have a simple user interface. A tricky, complicated, non-intuitive one delivers a poor experience. It would also be beneficial if you kept an eye out for reporting features.
   
   You will profit from a thorough investigation if you are from the manufacturing industry. Take some time and determine what you want your new LMS to do. Finally, settle on the best LMS for your manufacturing training needs.