Training Professionals Have a Leading Role in Innovation and Change - Essay Example

Training Professionals Have a Leading Role in Innovation and Change Table of Contents Training Professionals Have a Leading Role in Innovation and Change 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Role of Training Professional in Today’s Business to Deliver Innovation 3 Approach of Delivering Training and Development Program 5 Systematic Approach 5 Relational Approach 5 Design Training and Development Program 6 Innovation in Training in Australian Tertiary Education Institutions 7 Innovative Training and development program in Kangan Batman TAFE 8 Innovative Training and development in Victoria University 8 Comparison of Innovation in Training in Kangan Batman TAFE and Victoria University 9 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction Building an organization with potential for innovation is the major objective of training professional in the post-modern era. In several organizations, the training has not gone beyond the Human Resource Department which deals with recruitment, selection, reward, organizational policies, government regulation and the training programs. As organization learns the strategic and financial worth of establishing a corporate based innovation competency, the role of training professionals has begun to shift. Role of Training Professional in Today’s Business to Deliver Innovation The role of training professional is to help the organization’s human resources to unleash their real talent for productivity, innovation and revenue creation. Thus, the job of training professional should be to increase the capability of employee in whole organization, plan an innovative program, and set up an innovative training department to support other associated internal programs. Training professional is able to add value by developing an organizational culture where every person is liable for innovation – as a leader, adviser or team member (Skarzynski & Gibson, 2008). In order to think and act more innovatively it is insufficient to just provide training to employees. More sensible tools, methods, and instruments are needed to turn the inner creativity into corporate reality. Unless proper tool is provided at workplace the training will not be fruitful. Instead of educating employees about innovation and new thoughts, it will be much effective to provide innovative tools which can extend their ideas and develop new perception. For instance, IT has been used by organizations, fundamentally with the intention to increase efficiency in product development, monitoring progress or knowledge management and thus it is unable to influence the business innovation. However, a significant requirement to provide training towards innovation can be well-observed in the current scenario of contemporary business. Skarzynski & Gibson (2008) also states that there is a need to develop an environment where new thinking is welcomed from every employee and employees are not chastised for giving any exceptional idea; also where high degree of faith and support exist. For innovation to become successful, it needs to be deeply internalized in the organizational structure. Innovation can only become worthy in any organization by collective training in each level and activities of organization. Innovation in any company is usually termed as a team activity performed by individuals with varying levels of creative capability. According to Hattori and Wycoff (2004), training can be offered at three levels, group level, organizational level and individual level for complete improvement of sustainable innovation ability in organization. Each level comprises of unique aim and objectives (Hattori & Wycoff, 2004). With respect to educational institutions, the tutors face challenges because of sustainable development programs. The development programs in educational institutions comprises of a few significant phases related to the development of the approaches and skills of future students to perform effectively in the business environment and contribute to the overall economic development. In this sense, the training professionals can implement technological innovation in the learning process and raise awareness about sustainable development as well as provide the knowledge and competency required for applying those skills into real life (Larkley & Maynhard, 2008). Approach of Delivering Training and Development Program The main purpose of designing training is to develop the reliability of training program. There are several approaches for training professionals to design training. Systematic Approach Systematic approach to designing of training is based on need estimation, job analysis, stating instructional goals, matching estimation mechanisms and developing suitable instructional plan. This approach is characterized by balanced step by step approach and it comprises of iterative use of response from decisive assessment which is fundamental feature of systematic design. The systematic approach entails logical design sequence of orientation, plan, development, evaluation and implementation (Akker & Et. Al., 1999). Relational Approach The relational approach offers stakeholders to become involved in the design and completion procedure of training and expose their insight about the central objectives of organization that can be accomplished by training program. The assumption of this approach is that mutual insights are made clear, and can be personalized and would also gradually become compatible. When applied proficiently, this approach can result in strong external uniformity. It develops harmony among parties concerned on problem solving methods, implement training program and generate positive transfer situations in regular work environment (Akker & Et. Al., 1999). Design Training and Development Program Designing training requires a good deal of effort. The steps of designing training are as follows: Developing right strategy: To facilitate training goals the right strategy needs to be chosen. With respect to selection of training methods, participative system like role play and planned practice can be more suitable as these can be used apart from a diverse group of trainees. Choosing the content: While providing effective training, the goals must be divided into several parts like knowledge, talent, approach, and understanding. For each part specific contents are determined, right methods are chosen, and time structure specified. Developing training package: On the basis of the analysis related to each part of the organizational goals, several training packages are developed to offer the enterprise with numerous alternative packages for accomplishing the goals. The training package comprises of complete curriculum with appropriate sequencing of content and topic, regularity in the arrangement and a proper blend of training techniques. It is typically beneficial to keep some elements of the curriculum flexible so that unpredictable occasions or single demand of trainees can be integrated in the training program without losing prospect of the innovative drive (Ratnam & Shrivastava, 2004). Innovation in Training in Australian Tertiary Education Institutions The educational institutions in Australia encompass at cutting edge innovation in training and education which groom the students for the industrial sector. With the evolution of digital technology, the Australian institution provides advanced Information Communication Technology (ICT) oriented training and development. The innovative training helps students to obtain the talents and knowledge required for entering in the employment market and digital world. Another innovation in Australian educational institutions is ‘Trades Training Center’ which provides students with the opportunity to involve in professional learning and training at university. The training system in Australian tertiary educational institutions is always appraised by government for further improvement. The Vocational Education and Training (VET) division is grounded on the basis of partnership between Australian government and territory government. This partnership confirms standard education and quality education (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, n.d.). Innovative Training and development program in Kangan Batman TAFE Kangan Batman TAFE is reputed for quality educational training and it has gained much popularity because of organized method to foster innovation in their training. The institute provides cutting edge technology in their VET program. One example of innovation in training is the CD – ROM for nursing training. It allows students to learn post – graduate module without attending classes. This technique is exclusive in the area of nurse education. Another example of innovation in training in Kangan Batman TAFE is Electronic Student Administration System (E-SAMS). It is an application which is mainly designed for teachers who evaluates the trainees in the office. Through this application teachers can trace the results of trainees into digital instrument and can upload at the institutes’ computer at their convenience. Besides the Kangan Batman TAFE assist innovation in training by expressively developing the assets commitment to offer the staffs and trainees with advanced IT and telecommunication facility for example intranet, notebook PC for trainees which gives flexible training experience. Every staffs in the institute are encouraged to state their views and opinions for innovative products, services or advanced procedure for the institute. The institute’s Innovative Division is liable for making the innovative thoughts into practical operation (Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, 2001). Innovative Training and development in Victoria University Victoria University of Australia is also reputed for innovative industry skill training. The training of Victoria University is built on ‘computer hardware compatibility’ and trainees are provided with practical experience of the training program. The university provides innovative technology for training like ERP suite. The training of this institution is based on Odyssey software and it provides strong tools for education. The university use RIFD technologies in the training which provide students with a practical experience and make them highly capable for getting job. The application program of Odyssey empowers students to successfully work on any distribution organization which use advanced workflow procedure and become creative in no time. Through their innovative procedure in training, the Victoria University had gained ‘Australian Supply Chain and Logistics Awards’ (Reed Business Information, 2008). Comparison of Innovation in Training in Kangan Batman TAFE and Victoria University From the above data, it can be seen that innovation is one of the important part in training in majority of Australian tertiary educational institutions. The innovations make the students competitive and successful in their selected professions. With respect to training of Kangan Batman TAFE, it has awarded as ‘Training Provider of the Year’ in 2001 for leading training contributor in Victoria. The innovation was the major aspect for gaining the award. Kangan Batman TAFE follows the systematic approach of innovation. It has developed utilization of cutting edge technology in restructuring of training and respected as a leader in developing training curriculum for students. On the other hand Victoria University is also popular for delivering innovation in training. With their innovative training program ‘Ready-to-Work’ these institutions also gained national award. For providing innovative experience in training, Victoria University made their training packages by Odyssey. It uses the rational approach of training and made their training packages on the basis of mutual insights which are compatible for organizations and students. Conclusion Training and development are two of the most significant integral parts of organization’s personnel development. It makes employees more proficient and expert in their fields. The training professionals have significant role to teach about innovation to the employees and also implement innovative techniques in training and development. It can encourage new methods of doing tasks, new product development and thus organization can gain competitive advantage in the business environment. References Akker, J. V. D. & Et. Al., 1999. Design Approaches and Tools in Education and Training. Springer. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, No Date. About Australia Our System of Education. Australian Government. [Online] Available at: http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/education.pdf [Accessed September 5, 2011]. Hattori, R. A. & Wycoff, J. 2004. Innovation Training. American Society for Training and Development. Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, 2001. Training provider of The Year. KBT Annual Report 2001. [Online] Available at: http://k2.kangan.edu.au/assets/downloads/about/publications/kbt-annual-report-2001.pdf [Accessed September 5, 2011]. Larkley, J. E. & Maynhard, V. B. 2008. Innovation in Education. Nova Publishers. Ratnam, C. S. V. & Shrivastava, B. K., 2004. Personnel Management and Human Resources. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Reed Business Information, 2008. Innovative Skills Training At Victoria University. Logistics and Materials Handling. [Online] Available at: http://www.logisticsmagazine.com.au/news/innovative-skills-training-at-victoria-university [Accessed September 5, 2011]. Skarzynski, P. & Gibson, R., 2008. Innovation to the Core: A Blueprint for Transforming the Way Your Company Innovates. Harvard Business Press. Read More