Objectives of Training and the Role of the Trainer

The objectives for the training of employees:

1. To increase productivity- Instructions can help employees increase their level of performance on their present assignment. Increased human performance often leads to increased operational productivity and increased company profit.
2. To improve quality- Better informed worked are less likely to make operational mistakes. Quality increases may be in relationship to company product or service or in reference to the intangible organizational employment atmosphere.
3. To help a company fulfill its future personnel needs- Organizations that have a good internal programme for development will have to make less drastic manpower changes and adjustments in the event of sudden personnel alterations. When the need arises organizational vacancies can be easily staffed from maintaining an adequate instructional programme for both its non-supervisory and managerial employees.
4. To improve organizational climate- An endless chain of positive reactions result from a well planned training programme.
5. To improve health and safety- proper training can help prevent industrial accidents. A safer atmosphere leads to more stable mental attitudes on part of employees. Managerial mental status would also improve, if supervisors know they can better themselves through company designed development programmes.
6. Obsolescence prevention- Training and development programmes foster the initiative and creativity of employees and help to prevent manpower obsolescence due to age, temperament, or motivation or the inability of a person to adapt himself to technological changes.
7. Personal growth- Employees on a personal basis gain individually from their exposure to educational expressions. Management development programme seems to give participants a wider awareness, an enlarged skill and enlightens realistic philosophy and make personal growth possible.

Role of Trainer

The conventional view about the role of a trainer is to conduct training programmes. A good trainer must necessarily be able to take sessions in different training courses. His ratings in these training programmes would mostly determine his success or otherwise as a trainer. While this is still considered important I do not think it all that important in the changing circumstances. A brief explanation is necessary. Because of the industrial revolution there has been a stress on manufacturing function as the industrial Revolution was brought about by the technology of mass production. Personnel Managers and Manpower Development Managers working in the manufacturing culture of organizations took a manufacturing approach to development of human resource. This approach starts with the belief that as a raw material by processing is converted into the final product, so is a human resource, which when put through different management development programmes, is converted into a good management resource. Thus, the trainer became a 'manufacturer' of training programmes.

Trainer or facilitator

The time has come to develop a new perspective, to shift from a manufacturing approach to an agricultural approach towards development of human resource. What is this agricultural approach? A parallel can be drawn between a seed and human resource. All an agriculturist does is to provide a conductive climate by providing water and fertilizer around a seed so that it grows to be a plant and the plant into a giant tree.

The same is true of the development of human resource. Hence the trainer's role will have to change from one of conducting training programmes to that of being a facilitator. The stress has to be on learning rather than on teaching. A facilitator should facilitate learning as I believe management cannot be taught. It can only be learned.

General Electric Company in a research study found out four simple principles of development. The most important of them was that all development is self development. No development can take place in an apathetic or a hostile manager. An interest for development has to be created within the manager. The trainer's role is to create that interest.