From keeping your staff safe on-site to ensuring best practices throughout projects, training your construction staff is a must. But, many companies are still carrying out their programmes the old-fashioned way, with face-to-face tutorials and seminars. In a digital world, there's an alarming lack of tech being used. Why does this need to change and how could incorporating technology transform your training? Let's take a look.
Boost Your Employee Engagement
Technology can create far more engaging training scenarios than are often seen in the real world. If your staff's training programme involves being talked at by a senior member of staff and reading a range of pamphlets, they're simply not going to be interested. The training isn't engaging, and that could lead to serious issues down the line.
By using technology such as virtual reality, you can give your staff a more visual way of learning. They can see the scenarios before them as they happen, take part in them, and become involved in the progression of the training session. Rather than being a passive listener, they're an active participant, and that can make the world of difference when it comes to engagement.
Allow Training For Remote Workers
40% of employees now regularly work from home, with remote working expected to increase even more over the coming years. If you have staff across the country, not in the office or who are working on a wide variety of construction sites, making them travel for training can be a pain. Previously, you had two options:
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• Make your staff travel to meet at one location and risk negativity
• Set up multiple training locations and see your costs jump
Now, though, there's a third option. By embracing tech, you can create entire training programmes that can be carried out remotely. Virtual reality can conjure up real-life situations for staff, video calls allow you to host global seminars from one location, and digital files can be transferred in a matter of seconds. This saves time for your staff and makes it far easier for everyone to join, no matter where they work.
Encourage Learning Through Experience
According to 3D Walkabout, "Learning through experience increases learning quality and improves retention by up to 75%". For those in construction, this isn't just a bonus, it's a must. When training staff to complete a hands-on task, watching someone else do it simply isn't enough. But, allowing each employee to complete the task themselves on-site isn't always possible.
Fortunately, with technology on your team, you can employ VR to allow your staff hands-on experience without the complications. Every member of your team can carry out the same process in a digital space. They'll be engaged, understand the task properly, and be more prepared when work begins on-site.
Low-Risk Training Scenarios
A huge complication of construction training is the safety risk. When you have untrained members of staff carrying out potentially dangerous tasks or working in a space they're not yet safety trained for, you put their health and your company's reputation at risk. By embracing tech, you can remove this problem entirely.
Through seminars, VR spaces, and other digital experiences, your employees can carry out their training without having to step out of their homes! You can walk them through virtual work sites and show them the proper safety procedures for different events without risk of injury. They can even try performing tasks they're not yet trained in without a problem. Engagement and education will improve, as will the safety of your programme.
Staff Can Learn From Their Mistakes
As the risk is lower, it's not a problem when your staff make a mistake during their training. If they use a piece of virtual equipment incorrectly or forget a part of their safety training, it's okay. One of the perks of using tech for training is that your team can be encouraged to learn from their mistakes. This is far better than being scared to make any, which can hold your training sessions back and prevent personal growth.
Mistakes shouldn't be something to tip-toe around. They should be embraced as a part of the learning process, and technology will help you to do that.
A Cost-Effective Training Solution
You might be put off by the cost of training technology, but you shouldn't be. Although the initial investment may seem high, it's actually an incredibly cost-effective method for training your team. Setting up your digital space should be cheaper than renting venues for training seminars, and once you've compiled your digital training program, you only need to tweak it for modern regulations, and you can use it year after year. The more often you implement it, the cheaper it becomes.
Some of the costs you could save on include:
• Travel costs (for you and your staff)
• Insurance costs
• Venue hire
• Venue set-up
• Wages for seminar leaders and hosts
Don't be put off by the start-up cost. Instead, focus on the big picture of digital training.
If you're creating a training programme for your construction company, don't rule out the use of technology. There are so many perks that come with embracing the digital world. Why not reach out to a VR training company to learn more and see if this is the right option for your team?
