1. MAXIMIZING TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS WITH PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ADULT LEARNERS
[Special emphasis on public sector training in Sri Lanka]
Introduction
Adults are self motivated to learn and are capable of lifelong learning. Globalization and
the rapid change in technology require human beings to learn throughout their lives for
survival. Therefore, lifelong learning is inevitable for all and can be considered as a basic
human activity in the complex knowledge society. The adult population has now
increased in proportion of the total population due to increased longevity and declining
birthrates. Adults play many roles in the society such as spouse, parent, and employee in
addition to that of learner. Adults should engage in jobs to fulfill their needs. Although
adults have certain knowledge, skills and experiences to carry out their jobs, they should
be given training after assessing their training needs from time to time or whenever
necessary to improve their competencies. A large number of public sector training
organizations provide different kinds of training for public employees who are adult
learners. Training provided by these organizations may be either short term or long term
and sometimes, may be either workshops or seminars arranged for one or more than one
day. In most occasions, employees are selected for training to be obtained from the local
as well as foreign training organizations without carrying out proper training need
analysis. Therefore, the final results may be zero and no benefits to the organization
except wasting public fund. Public employees are adult learners who need learning to be
relevant to their lives and relate learning of the topic to their life experiences. They also
need to be actively involved in the learning throughout their lives for survival. Therefore,
strategies and techniques have to be developed to work with the public employees who
are adult learners, to achieve the desired objectives.
Objectives
The objective of this paper is to formulate strategies and techniques to maximize public
sector training effectiveness with public employees who are adult learners.
Theme
The theme of this paper focuses on maximizing public sector training effectiveness by
formulating strategies and techniques. Public employees are adults with certain level of
knowledge, skills and attitudes to perform their tasks. They need further training to
improve their competency in their work place environment. They are self motivated to
learn continuously because of fulfillment of their different kinds of needs. Therefore,
lifelong learning is inevitable and should be induced further by providing training.
Basically, all training programmes should be designed for them to induce continuous and
lifelong learning for individual and organizational development.
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2. In Sri Lanka, there is large number of employees working in the public sector. Most of
them are attached to the national / provincial ministries and departments. Nowadays,
public sector training institutes have been established in the provincial as well as national
levels to train those public employees. Several training programmes are organized for
new recruits as well as current employees to enhance their competencies every year. Sri
Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) is the premier public sector
training organization for the development of knowledge and improvement of managerial
skills in public administration. A colossal sum of public fund is allocated by the
Government for training and development every year. As the line ministries and
departments have not followed rational criteria to select employees for training, it would
be impossible to reap the benefits from the training programmes. Therefore, it is
necessary for the public sector organizations to set strategies and techniques to maximize
training effectiveness. Some major strategies and techniques have been identified to
manage the training effectiveness with public employees who are adult learners. These
strategies and techniques have been set out based on the facts / data obtained from the
senior administrators in the public service by accepting the basic principles of adult
learning.
Literature Survey
“Training is a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge, skill or behavior through
learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities.
Its purpose, in the work situation, is to develop the abilities of the individual and to
satisfy the current and future manpower needs of the organization”. – British Manpower
Services Commission: 1981.
Training comprises the following three major components:
1. Planning
2. Designing and
3. Evaluation
1. Planning
Planning is the first and foremost function of establishing the sequence and relationships
of a series of operations prior to commencing work. This includes the following
activities:
• Setting strategic directions
• Assessing training needs
• Developing training strategies
• Preparing training policies and procedures
• Identifying resources
• Preparing budget
• Preparing training calendar
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3. 2. Designing
Designing is the second major component of training which includes the following
activities:
• Identifying training opportunities for active participant learning
• Setting training priorities
• Preparing objectives for each programme
• Preparing checklists
• Pretesting and review
• Implementing the training programme
• Communicating training information to all employees
3. Evaluation
Hamblin (1994) defines Evaluation as “any attempt to obtain information (feedback) on
the effects of a training programme, and to assess the value of the training in the light of
that information”. Evaluation of training answers the following three questions;
1. Did the conducted training programme yield results?
2. Can the investment on training be justified in terms of the outcome of the
training?
3. How can the future program be improved?
Public employees are adult learners. They learn best when they are in a supportive
environment. In order to maximize training effectiveness, training SWOT analysis should
be carried out to set the strategic direction of a training programme. Setting strategic
direction means the assessment of current competency of human resources and
comparing it with the desired competency levels based on the strategic business plan of
the organization to identify gaps in competency. A training SWOT analysis will show
what specific skills and competencies needs to be developed for employees in line with
the business strategy of the organization. This will facilitate in efficient and effective goal
attainment of the organization and yield higher return on training investment for the
organization.
Issues identified
In the public service, all Heads of Departments and trainers are expected to be able to
carry out training SWOT analysis and training need assessment to prepare strategies and
techniques for maximizing training effectiveness with public employees. But, in reality
they fail to do so. Therefore, there are no remarkable improvements in most of the trained
public employees’ knowledge, skills and attitudes. This would result in wasting time and
public fund allocated for employees training and development.
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4. Some of the important strategies and techniques are recommended to maximize the
public sector training effectiveness.
Recommended Strategies and Techniques
In order to address the issue identified, the following strategies and techniques can be
used by the public sector trainers to maximize training effectiveness with public employees who
are the adult learners.
Strategy1. Emphasize personal benefits of training
Public employees are adult learners who need learning to be relevant to their lives and
relate learning of the topic to their life experiences. They need to be actively involved in
the learning throughout their lives for survival and are ready to learn when they assume
new role.
Techniques:
• Ask the participants to identify personal benefits derived from training
• Ask them to develop their own personal goals for the training
• Encourage them to write down specific actions they will carry out after training
Strategy2. Create a supportive environment
Adults are willing to move from dependency to self directedness. Democratic
environment should be created for adult learners to develop their competencies in the
training / learning processes.
Techniques:
• Always be courteous and patient
• Free the learners from bonds
• Encourage co-operative activities among learners
• Encourage them to support each other in learning activities
• Develop team sprit among them
• Listen to each person’s questions and answer them clearly
• Ensure that the physical space is as comfortable as possible.
Strategy3. Use participatory training approaches
Participatory training approaches are far ahead of formal training approaches in making
behavioural changes in adults. Participatory training is not only trainee-friendly but also
flexible, result oriented and include trainee perspectives. It includes needs based
approach, trainee oriented approach, problem oriented approach and job oriented
approach.
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5. Techniques:
• Design student-centered training curriculum
• Limit formal lecture method
• Encourage participation of learners to solve problems
• Allow them to share experiences
• Focus on their skills, capacities, talents, and abilities.
• Use question techniques
Strategy4. Use a variety of teaching methods
By nature, and from the standpoint of adult learners, lecture is a boring teaching method.
To engage all learners, it is best to vary the methods in which information is
communicated.
Techniques:
• Group discussion
• Role- play
• Case study
• Debate
• Stage Performance Method
• Symposium
• Field trip
• Multi-Media Package
• Movie
• Brainstorming
Strategy5. Set the mindset of the trainees
Setting the mindset of trainees for the session is more important than setting the physical
environment for the session (Agochiya, 2002).
Techniques:
• Realize the attitude and behavior of learners
• Not to disturb their line of thinking and attitude
• Let them realize what they know and what they don’t know
• Provide necessary facilities for learning
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6. Strategy6. Meet trainee’s individual learning needs
Effective trainers never forget they have a group of individual learners with varying abilities,
experiences, and motivation.
Techniques:
• Understand the complexity of the adults’ life
• Not to make the training programme an additional burden to adult trainees
• Consider each trainee's capabilities and interests
• Encourage individual creativity and initiative
• Pay attention to individual communication
Strategy7. Provide structured learning opportunities
Since the adult learners are having numerous problems (personal, family and official), it
is very difficult to change their behavior by training in their work environment.
Therefore, structured learning opportunities should be ensured by getting them away
from their usual setting.
Techniques:
• Off the job training
• Residential workshops
• Practical sessions in different workplaces
• Field trips
Strategy8. Provide immediate feedback on practice
Training is a two way communication process. Providing timely corrective feedback leads to
successful learning and mastery of content and skills
Techniques:
• Self feedback
• Peer feedback
• Trainer feedback
Strategy9. Encourage, Appreciate and commend learners
Encouragements, appreciations and commendations are the low-cost training tactics that yield best
results.
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7. Techniques:
• Use enthusiastic words among learners in training sessions
• Abstain from expressing meaningless words in training sessions
• Appreciate their positive activities
• Encourage participatory learning
• Commend their achievements / results
Conclusion
Most of the public employees are adults. They have special characteristics in nature. They are self
motivated to learn for their survival and have different objectives. They have to be given training to
improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the achievement of personal as well as
organizational goals. In the context of public service, performance of the public employees should be
developed by training. Planning, designing and evaluation are the three major components of training.
Each component includes many important activities which are listed in the literature survey clearly.
Public sector training programmes would be successful if those activities must be carried out tactfully
with a scheduled time frame. The strategies and techniques set out here should be followed by the public
sector training institutes while on training activities to maximize training effectiveness with public
employees who are the adult learners.
References:
1. Human Resources Development (Theory & Practice) – Tapomoy Deb.
2. Participatory Training for Development – I.Ranasinghe Perera.
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