Training an employee right at their workstation seems to be the ideal solution: there’s no need to take them away from their work environment, the equipment is already on site, and the skills to be taught are already present within the teams.
But let’s imagine a company that needs to train twenty operators on how to use new equipment. The trainers have been identified, the learning objectives defined, and the employees are ready to learn. One question remains: When should these training sessions be scheduled, given that the trainers, trainees, and equipment are already tied up in production?
That is the paradox of on-the-job training (OJT). By linking learning to actual work, it facilitates the acquisition of directly applicable skills. But it also introduces very specific organizational constraints.
So, how can we take full advantage of this training method without disrupting operations?
What is on-the-job training?
On-the-job training, also known as on-the-job training (OJT), involves developing an employee’s skills directly in their work environment, through hands-on experience with the equipment, procedures, and situations they encounter on a daily basis.
Learning is no longer based solely on theoretical knowledge; it relies on hands-on experience, observation, and guidance from experienced professionals.
An operator is learning how to use a new machine on the production line. A technician is performing maintenance under the supervision of an expert. A new employee is gradually learning the tasks and procedures specific to their position.
The principle is simple : to learn the trade where it is actually practiced, under conditions that closely resemble real-world operations.
The Different Types of On-the-Job Training
On-the-job training can take several forms, depending on the skills to be taught and the expected level of independence.
-
Job shadowing: to observe an experienced employee as they perform their daily tasks.
-
Mentoring: receive personalized guidance from a career advisor.
-
Supervised practice: gradually performing professional tasks under the supervision of an expert.
-
Job rotation: exploring various roles to develop versatility.
-
Structured program: alternate between observation, hands-on practice, guidance, and evaluation according to a defined progression.
Not all of these approaches are equally formalized. A one-time observation may be part of informal learning, while an on-the-job training program may be structured around specific objectives, steps, and evaluation criteria.
In France, theAFEST (on-the-job training) constitutes a specific regulatory framework, including, in particular, reflective phases and evaluations. It should therefore not be confused with OJT practices in general.
Key Takeaways
On-the-job training is not simply about learning while working. To become a truly effective tool for skills development, it must include clear objectives, appropriate support, and conditions that enable employees to learn, practice, and improve.
The Benefits of On-the-Job Training
For companies whose operations rely on technical expertise, specialized equipment, or rigorous procedures, on-the-job training is particularly valuable: it allows employees to learn in a setting that closely mirrors real-world work situations.
Beyond practical application, this approach addresses four major challenges in skills development.
Accelerate the acquisition of technical skills
Operating equipment, performing a technical task, or working on a system cannot be learned solely from a manual. On-the-job training allows employees to gradually apply their knowledge in practice, with guidance tailored to their skill level and safety requirements.
Passing on know-how and preserving professional expertise
Part of a company's expertise lies in the experience of employees who have a thorough understanding of their equipment, procedures, and work environments.
Mentoring helps pass on this expertise, particularly when new employees join the company, organizational changes occur, or employees retire.
Developing Teams' Versatility
Training an employee to perform multiple roles or tasks helps develop their versatility and expand their career opportunities.
In the industry, this versatility can also make it easier for teams to adapt to fluctuations in activity, provided that the necessary skills and authorizations are acquired.
Strengthen proficiency in procedures and standards
In environments where quality and safety are essential, supervised practice ensures that procedures are understood and properly followed.
However, it does not replace regulatory approvals or any authorizations that may be required prior to performing an autonomous operation.
These benefits explain the value of on-the-job training for technical and industrial occupations. They are part of broader issues, which we detail in our article on the challenges of organizing industrial training.
But these advantages should not obscure a challenge: the conditions that make learning meaningful are often the very ones that complicate its organization.
On-the-Job Training: Challenges That Are Often Underestimated
Classroom training generally requires bringing together participants, an instructor, and an available space. In the case of on-the-job training, the situation is quite different.
Training sessions take place in environments already used for business operations. The individuals responsible for teaching the skills hold operational positions themselves. As for the equipment needed for training, it is sometimes essential for production.
The challenge, therefore, is not just to organize a training session, but to simultaneously bringing together resources whose availability does not always align.
Tutors to Recruit
Subject-matter experts must divide their time between training others and producing results
Schedules to Coordinate
Shift work, staggered schedules, and unforeseen circumstances make it difficult to find times that work for everyone.
Equipment That Is Already in High Demand
Machines, simulators, and technical equipment are often essential to production.
Routes to Follow
Observation, practice with guidance and evaluation must follow a progressive pedagogical .
THE REAL CHALLENGE OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
The right learner, the right tutor, the right equipment… all at the same time.
The training on job involves resources resources that have already their own schedule and their own constraints. The success of the program depends on the capacity to coordinate these elements without compromising business operations or the quality of the learning experience.
How can you effectively plan on-the-job training?
To integrate on-the-job training into the organization in a sustainable way, planning must begin as soon as the training pathways are designed, not after the training needs have been identified.
The goal is not simply to find open time slots. It is to build an organization in which the resources needed for learning are available at the right time, while taking operational requirements into account.
Identify needs and structure learning paths
The first step is to identify the skills to be acquired and the work situations that will help develop them.
What tasks must the employee be able to perform? What equipment will they need to use? Is an observation period necessary before they begin working? How many training sessions should be scheduled?
This information makes it possible to translate learning objectives into specific activities to be organized.
A training program may, for example, include an initial observation phase, several supervised practical sessions, and then an evaluation.
Identify the mentors and resources needed
Each activity must be linked to the resources on which it depends.
This could be a mentor with specialized expertise, specific equipment, a workshop, a vehicle, or a technical facility.
It is also important to consider the conditions for using these resources: authorizations, capacity limits, safety rules, hours of operation, and availability, which may vary by location.
This step makes it possible to identify in advance the resources that are in highest demand and those that may limit the number of training sessions that can be held.
Create schedules that are compatible with business operations
Once the needs and resources have been identified, the next step is to find the right combinations.
A time slot may work for the learner but not for the instructor. Equipment may be available, but the production team may not be able to free up any staff members. A session may be feasible on its own, but it could disrupt the sequence of other training sessions.
Planning must take these dependencies into account in order to create consistent schedules.
In complex organizations, this involves coordinating availability, educational constraints, material resources, and operational priorities rather than managing each schedule separately.
Anticipate changes and adjust the organization
Even when perfectly planned, a training schedule is still subject to unforeseen circumstances.
The absence of an instructor, equipment failure, or a production emergency may require a session to be rescheduled.
But rescheduling a training session isn't just a matter of changing a date. You have to check the new availability, ensure the course remains consistent, and notify the people involved.
An effective system must therefore allow schedules to be adjusted without having to manually rebuild the entire setup.
Monitor progress and prepare for upcoming sessions
Finally, it is essential to have a clear picture of the training sessions that have actually been conducted.
Which sessions have taken place? Which ones have been postponed? Which employees still need to complete certain steps? What resources will be needed for the upcoming sessions?
This information helps us improve our organization and prepare for future training sessions.
The assessment of learning outcomes and the validation of skills, for their part, remain educational aspects that must be integrated with planning information.
How can we organize large-scale on-the-job training?
Training a few employees within the same team can be organized directly by a manager or a training coordinator. But when the number of training needs increases, coordination becomes significantly more complex.
Let's consider the case of an industrial company that needs to roll out a new process across multiple sites. The employees involved do not all have the same work schedules, the equipment available varies by location, and some trainers work at multiple sites.
Each site has its own constraints, but the company must maintain a big-picture perspective to ensure that the necessary training sessions are organized and conducted within the expected timeframes.
Centralize training needs and available resources
When each institution manages its training programs according to its own schedule, it becomes difficult to know exactly what needs to be met, which sessions have already been scheduled, or what resources are still available.
Centralized planning makes it possible to bring all this information together in a single environment: employees to be trained, training programs to be organized, available instructors, necessary equipment, and scheduled sessions.
This enables training managers to identify unmet needs, anticipate periods of high demand, and coordinate resources shared among multiple teams or facilities.
Coordinate training without standardizing organizations
Centralizing planning does not mean imposing the same rules on all sites.
One institution may operate on a shift schedule, while another organizes its activities around standard hours. Certain facilities are only accessible during specific times. Tutors may also have different availability or areas of responsibility.
The organization of training programs must take these specific characteristics into account when developing schedules.
The goal is to maintain consistency across the entire company while allowing each location to plan its training sessions according to its operational constraints.
Adjust schedules as priorities change
On a large scale, changes are inevitable. A high-priority production task may require the use of equipment that was originally set aside for training. A trainer may become unavailable, or new employees may need to be trained more quickly than expected.
These changes sometimes affect multiple sessions, or even different sites, when a resource is shared.
Having a consolidated view of the schedules makes it possible to identify the relevant training sessions, find other available times, and reschedule sessions while taking existing constraints into account.
Planning Tailored to the Reality of the Business
It is in these environments that training planning takes on its full importance.
With ADE Entreprise, organizations can centralize their training needs, coordinate the availability of trainers and learners, account for logistical and instructional constraints, and adjust schedules as conditions change.
In particular, the solution makes it possible to plan multimodal training programs that incorporate on-the-job training sessions alongside other instructional methods.
On-the-job training can thus be organized as part of an overall training plan, rather than managed separately from other training activities.
Give on-the-job training a meaningful role within the organization
On-the-job training allows employees to develop their skills in a setting that closely mirrors real-world work situations. It promotes the transfer of expertise, supervised practice, and the development of employees’ independence. But to reap its full benefits, it must be integrated into the organization’s daily operations.
Tutor availability, equipment allocation, production constraints, and educational progress must be balanced from the planning stage onward.
The success of on-the-job training depends as much on the quality of the learning experience as on the ability to create the conditions necessary for it to take place.