Training and Development Programme for Companies - Dissertation Example

identification (all above optional – if you need them) Proposal Training and Development Programme for Client Wing Yip Chinese and Oriental Supply Company Introduction Wing Yip has become the most important supplier of choice to the Oriental and Chinese Food Industry in the United Kingdom (Wing Yip*, 2011). With more than three hundred employees and four stores (Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon) the growth path of the organization is well established. Its unique selling point is to be found in the excellent relationships established between Wing Yip and suppliers in China and other South East Asian countries – enabling the company to supply excellent product from original source, ensuring a wide variety of innovative product to the consumer (Wing Yip*, 2011). In terms of the classical Chinese concepts of family and business, Wing Yip strives to build long term relationships with its suppliers, its staff, its customers and tenants. Further long term goals are to ensure that the company’s passion – the supply of excellent food products – strengthens the awareness of Chinese food culture in Britain, to mirror the important role of food in Chinese history and society (Wing Yip*, 2011). At all four branches of Wing Yip, vacancies have been advertised for cashiers, shop floor assistants and store manager’s assistants (Wing Yip**, 2011). Toward the achievement of the long-term goals of Wing Yip, it is essential that the training provided for the existing staff – as they move into positions of leadership within the stores – and the newly employed staff – as they begin their association with the culture and traditions of Wing Yip – be trained and developed as individuals proud to be associated with the company and its values. Service delivery must be refined and enhanced through training in best practice, already found in the organisation. Objectives To promote a common culture of service, innovation, pride in delivery and lifelong learning among Wing Yip employees To enable upward mobility toward leadership within the organization, in line with succession-planning strategies To promote the company culture of the classical Chinese approach to family and business, and the passion for food (Wing Yip*, 2011) among all employees To ensure appropriate skills and competencies according to job description among Wing Yip employees, hence promoting the empowerment of the individual Approach A dual approach will be maintained in the courses offered: Induction training for new employees, to familiarise new people with roles and responsibilities, the culture of the business, and with colleagues; development for existing employees to emphasise the employees’ potential to learn new skills and develop more capabilities (The Times 100 website: Training and Development Theory, 2011). Adults learn best through goal-oriented instruction (Craig, 1987) and thus trainers will employ structures and methodologies with this in mind. The possibilities for advancement in the company and personal development will be emphasised throughout. Also the first and compulsory-for-all-course – Course A – will disseminate the company culture and promote the taking of personal responsibility as well as initiative and innovation, hence persuading the delegates that the company’s values are sound. The company’s objectives in presenting the training must be concisely and regularly reinforced throughout the training. Assumptions In order to improve the output and success of a business it has been claimed that an organization in which everyone shares the same vision and where they trust and value each other’s contribution develops a “high performance culture” (The Times 100 website: Siemens Case Study, 2011). Further, allowing people to take responsibility and trusting in their abilities motivates them, and allied with a shared vision and goals, individuals feel that they are contributing in a worthwhile way to the business. They also then feel more empowered in their own careers (The Times 100 website: Siemens Case Study, 2011). Course Outlines: Course A – Common Session for all new and existing employees The aims of this common training session are: to develop the ability to take initiative over and above daily duties; to promote innovation among all employees, empowering them to make changes on their own initiative and using the correct channels; to share the values and culture of the organization. Course B – Cashiers The components of this training are: the recognition and use of the cash register and cash register systems used by individual Wing Yip stores; customer empathy and recognition of customer needs; to improve relationships with colleagues, including supervisors and to recognise their needs; to retrieve daily records, and hence accurate balancing methods; the safe handling of cash. Course C – Shop floor assistants The primary focus of this course is: good interpersonal and communication skills. Additionally effective customer service through product and service knowledge will be instilled. Course D – Manager’s assistants For manager’s assistants, initial training will be structured toward computer proficiency: management of documents; input and analysis of data; e-mail and internet systems; effective electronic communication. Thereafter, the focus will change to sales strategies, for increases in sales, and the management of expenses. The final outcome of the course will be directed toward ensuring that the assistant manager is able to assist managers in evaluation of business and staff performance; planning of events and administration for the business; effective delegation and sharing of tasks; and strategy formulation to ensure the sustainability of the business, through adaptation to the changing needs of the market. Course Approach and Timing For new employees, the course will commence on the first day of employment, to be planned as a Monday. This will allow Course A to commence once every 12-16 weeks i.e. once per quarter, approximately. The courses then designed per job description (Courses B-D) will follow simultaneously, for their respective durations. For current employees, it will be possible to attend only Course A and then return to work, or by implication, to complete Course A in one cycle, and return to complete Course B, C, or D in the next cycle. It will be a requirement, however, that no more than 12 months elapses between the completions of Course A and any subsequent course. Course A will hence be repeated for an employee who is completing, for example, Course C in Year 1, and Course D in Year 3 of employment. He/she will have to repeat Course A in Year 3, in the scenario described. The duration of the respective courses for delegates: Course A – 5 days; Course B – 10 days; Course C – 10 days; Course D – 25 days. All delegates will be required to attend Course A. Times per day will be from 09:00 to 16:00 with 15 minute comfort breaks at 10:15 and 14:45 and a lunch break at 12:30 to 13:15. Primary Course Audience The general audience profile will be adults from all cultures and from both gender groups, all employed by Wing Yip stores. The age demographic will largely be unable to be determined – the company will not discriminate on the basis of age in its employment for specific levels within the company. Courses will be structured for: Course A: All new and existing employees, at every level of the business, will in a one-year cycle, have attended the course. Course B: Designed for cashiers newly employed but may also be valuable for existing employees when systems are changed, or equipment is upgraded. Course C: Designed for shop-floor assistants. All new employees will within their first 6 months of employment have to attend the course. Existing employees will have to attend the course at least once, should they be in line for promotion within the company. Course D: Existing employees identified as having potential for management and leadership could attend prior to any promotion. Employees having received promotion will be required to attend the course within 3 months of their promotion. New employees, appointed into the post from external companies will attend prior to beginning duties at the stores. Trainer Responsibilities The course work will be developed by the service provider in association with company management, in order to establish a clear guideline of what is to be covered and what will be addressed. This documentation will be issued to the trainers 4 week prior to the initiation of the training. Trainers will generate the daily timetable of activities in order to ensure the completion of learning within the set time frames. Trainers will be required to generate and maintain attendance records and to develop the evaluation process according to the stated outcomes and goals. As part of the evaluation process, trainers will be required to submit the attendance records of each delegate, and a short written report on each delegate indicating the approach and attitudes of the individual to the training. A response questionnaire will be completed by each delegate subsequent to course completion. Certification will consequently be issued. Resource and Material Requirements Trainers will indicate their needs over and above the provision of: a computer: desktop or laptop; Projector and screen; Sound system: for voice and for music/soundtrack. Delegates will require a lever-arch file, with course notes as prepared by the trainers, to be compiled and formatted by the service provider. Logistics and Facilities Requirements Training will take place in the Wing Yip business centres, where new employees will experience a culturally Chinese setting, and where existing employees will see and compare their service levels with those of the restaurants, banks and other businesses. The centres offer a “China Town experience” (Wing Yip*, 2011) where the oriental setting will offer a level of peripheral and experiential learning to delegates, by exposing them to the culture of service offered by other Chinese and oriental concerns. Venue requirements will be determined by enrolments per course, but the availability of one large conference venue and three smaller conference venues. Daily provision for tea breaks and lunch breaks has been made. The service provider will arrange these requirements and bill stores individually. Delegates will be transported from the main stores in the four locations, to the Wing Yip centres via hired transport, provided by the service provider, for the cost of individual stores. Delegates will be required to make their way to the stores independently in order to leave together for the centres at designated times. Sessions will begin at 09:00 and be completed at 16:00 daily, and organizers at each store will determine travelling time to the centres and hence departure and return times. Delegates will be transported back to the stores after the sessions are completed, and will be responsible to make their own ways home. Documentation Requirements A pre-registration form, generated by the service provider, will be completed by the individual store managers, as per staffing and training and development requirements, and submitted to the service provider at least one month prior to commencement of a course cycle. In the case of new employees, where the need has been identified, but a person has not yet been employed, a place can be booked by submitting the said pre-registration form, with details of employee to follow. All delegates will be required to submit a copy of letter of employment and proof of identity at course registration to be held on Day 1 of Course A for records of attendance and the issue of certificates after the respective courses have been completed. Training Implementation Requirements The Human Resources Department of Wing Yip will be required to draw up schedules to manage the attendance of current employees at the required courses and the prioritised attendance of new employees at required courses. Similarly, strategies will have to be devised to ensure the continued optimal functioning of stores: initially, the courses may impact on staffing at stores, and this will have to be taken into account. Critical Success Factors Allied to a performance management system, the increase in internal promotion will serve as a clear indication of success (Craig, 1987). Response Questionnaire analysis will be a guideline as to the effectiveness of the experience for employees, and determine any required alterations and modifications to the course materials. After a one-year cycle, the following should be evident: Lower staff turnover Increase in internal promotions Reduced staff absenteeism Reduced unresolved customer complaints about poor service or staff lack of delivery More accurate financial records, with fewer discrepancies A more favourable income-expenses profile in relation particularly to costs of employment Conclusion The initial one-year cycle of training as specified above should indicate the needs for further or adjusted training programmes. This programme is intended both to allow access to personal development for staff and also to improve the performance of the business in terms of its overall staff performance, and hence profitability. It is also designed with the culture, values and objectives of the business in mind – in a period of expansion (Wing Yip intends to expand its footprint by opening new stores (Wing Yip*, 2011)) it is essential to maintain staff morale and ensure the consistency of the brand value of the company (Craig, 1987). This will be possible through the course design presented, in that skills and competencies are addressed to enable high levels of efficiency. It will further enhance the culture of pride in work, identification with the culture of the company among staff and personal development and empowerment for staff at every level of the company. Works Cited Atherton, J.S. (2011) Learning and Teaching: Motivation available at http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/motivation.htm Accessed June 14, 2011 Craig, R.L., ed. (1987) Training and Development Handbook: A Guide to Human Resource Development. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 121-147 United States Office of Personnel Management (2008) Migration Planning Guidance Templates: Training Strategy Template available at http://www.opm.gov/egov/documents/MPG/MPG-2_Templates_Training_Strategyv2.pdf Accessed June 9, 2011 (Formatting for the proposal based on the template offered at this website) “Training and development theory” (2011); “Creating a high-performance Culture: Siemens Case Study” all available at The Times 100 website http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory--training-development--418.php Accessed June 10, 2011 Wing Yip *(2011), About Wing Yip available at http://www.wingyip.com/page-520.html Accessed June 9, 2011 Wing Yip ** (2011), Wing Yip Job Vacancies available at http://www.wingyip.com/page-624.html Accessed June 9, 2011 Read More