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“A training plan is like a roadmap for the training,” explains Sara Goff, Acting Regional Manager Employer Services Northern.

“We’ll take a look at the unit standards that the workplace has chosen for their electives for a qualification. Then we’ll determine an order on how they want these completed, and break it down into bite-sized chunks. This helps trainees and employers see progress as they go through.”

She encourages employers to get their trainees involved in developing their training plan. This involvement encourages them to take ownership from the get go and sets the right expectations of everyone. At the very least, trainees need a copy for themself so they know if they are on track.

Sara explains that each training plan sets the trainee’s start date and their expected end date. Industry training allows for learning at each person’s pace as long as they are able achieve at least 10 credits a year. They can take as long as they like to complete. Industry training respects that adult learners, especially those in employment, have other commitments too.

She says, “it’s not an issue if they are little bit behind…that’s the brilliant thing about workplace-based training. But having a training plan to start them with, which shows all the unit standards to be completed and the expected end date, just gives them an idea if they are tracking well and not go off track.”

Workplaces will also have a workplace training plan for when they put trainees in groups or cohorts. She says it’s prudent to review these training plans every time they are looking at enrolling a person or a group. Revisit this with your CWA to ensure you’re still upskilling on what is needed in the organisation. There may be new unit standards or new competencies now required in this changing world that may be covered by updating a workplace training plan.

“Training plans are also useful for assessors,” she adds. It allows assessors to plan how much time it may take them to assess a trainee or group that is going through. Basically, the training plan aims to put everyone on the same page.

Based on Sara’s experience, she finds that organisations are increasingly aligning their orientation and induction to the Careerforce Level 2 qualifications. The training plan they develop reflects the skills required in their role, but also embeds the organisations policies and procedures.

Counties Manukau Homecare Trust for example aligned their support workers training plan and Handbook to Careerforce training. Trudy Biggelaar, Manager at the Trust says, “when we started going through the units we found that we developed our Support Workers Handbook even further based on content of Careerforce’s workbooks and resources.”

“We use our Handbook in conjunction with Careerforce training to reinforce Counties Manukau Homecare Trust’s  actual policies and procedures . We would not get that if we sent them away from a workplace environment. Here is the best place to train them,” shares Trudy.

Another great thing about workplace-based training according to Sara is that people can achieve qualifications from their demonstrated practical work experience.

“Linking the Level 2 qualification in the induction is an added extra and a confidence booster for them too. A lot of people who are new in the sectors we support have probably not studied for a long time. So being able to achieve a Level 2 qualification after an induction is really exciting for them.”