Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Employee Training Best Practices

The oil and gas industry is booming, and the U.S. economy is at its highest point since before the great recession. Yet many are struggling to find experienced employees to fill open positions. As retired workers leave the force, they take with them experiential knowledge of business practices, managing processes, and developing customer relationships.

Need by the numbers

The need for new, qualified employees is a real challenge. The industry is projected to add
1.9 million jobs through 2035 and by 2020, millennials will account for more than 40 percent of the workforce. The oil and gas industry has already started recruiting these younger workers, as they currently account for 34 percent of the industry’s workforce. However, many new recruits lack the necessary experience, making training a requirement for the company’s success.

In-house training challenges

Most organizations ask peers to mentor less-experienced workers while on the job. But this can pose problematic because even the most fundamental oil and gas knowledge takes time to understand. In response, many businesses are turning to highly-specialized outside training course providers to educate new hires.

The benefits of outsourcing

Outsourcing training can be the most cost-effective way to get a new employee up to speed.

The dedicated, timely, targeted courses are more important than ever in today’s business world because they mitigate risk and therefore, prove to be a wise investment. However, there are several factors to consider when selecting the right training for your employees.

What to look for

One of the most important considerations in evaluating a training course is the quality of the instructor. Instructors should be well-versed on the course topic and bring their own experiences from the field.

Class size is also critical. Your employees will get much more out of a course if their individual questions can be answered and they can actively participate in discussions. On-demand training courses or small on-site courses tend to be the most enriching for new employees.

Since new employees are often younger, they expect more than just a lecture to keep them engaged. Multi-media presentations, simulations, games, and team exercises are essential to keeping an audience’s attention.

The value of on-going education

In addition, the oil and gas industry is ever changing and therefore seasoned employees can also benefit from professional training to help prepare them for new responsibilities and to support the business’s goals. This can also highlight a path for high-potential employees who may one day become the company’s next leaders.

Training is an investment in your employees and your business. By relying on unbiased experts, like those at DTN, you are helping to ensure workers enter your workforce with a fresh, positive perspective and can contribute at their full potential from the very start.

Highly-specialized training offers a systematic way to bridge the knowledge gap, transfer much-needed insights, and train these employees without disrupting other workers or the business.

The better informed all employees are about the industry, its evolving practices, and the impact of real world current events on your business and your customers, the better positioned they are to support innovation and success.