“What’s in it for me”?
It’s safe to say that we have all asked this question in one form or another while searching for motivation to take action. If the payoff is worth the price, we then have the motivation and buy-in to do the work. In theory, this is a simple equation; however, when applied to the real world, it’s anything but simple. When companies initially look into training their technicians, it’s easy to see the payoff, but when they get deep into the details, that end goal can become fuzzy and even lost.
Let’s face it; training is hard. It’s hard to facilitate. It’s hard to schedule around. It’s hard to dedicate time from a technician’s day when the call board is full, and business is being turned away. It’s hard to stand fast to the commitment of training when so many things need our attention, and this is often the part of the training that no one looks at beforehand. That oversight can derail the best of intentions.
For transparency, let’s look at the price of using NexTech Academy in your business. NexTech Academy is not a simple silver bullet, plug-and-play program, there are commitments required on several levels to be successful with this training program.
It will take time and effort from many leadership roles within your company from the training leader that will oversee the program and hold the students accountable to the training mentors or experienced staff that will directly manage the students in the field. As stated before, all levels must be in alignment for the program to be successful. The successful execution of NexTech Academy is a team-building exercise for your business!
Let’s take a closer look at the team that makes up NexTech Academy in your business.
The Training Leader
There are many ways to implement a training leader role in your business but essentially a training leader starts with getting students enrolled and continue with setting expectations for student progress in the program.
Successful Training Leader Seek to:
- Set clear expectations and accountability when setting up parameters in the program
- Open communication with dispatch to align calls with the lessons being taught in the program
- Encourage dispatch to direct those calls to students will set the students up for success
- Exposing students and their training mentors to calls that align with the lessons that will help to reinforce the skills introduced and improves student retention
Training Mentors
Training Mentors serve in the direct supervisory role of the students. These are knowledgeable and seasoned veterans of the industry that will observe student hands-on skills activities in the field. They will also be the ones to determine if the student’s level of proficiency is acceptable to company standards. These key individuals will also work to educate the student’s on the companies policies and procedures so that they can be productive team members.
Service Managers
Service managers can make or break any training initiative introduced in a business. Often the managers will be responsible for scheduling technicians, and their buy-in is critically essential for success. As stated before, scheduling around training is hard, especially if business is good and the dispatch board is full. By having the discipline to give students and training mentors the time needed for the program will seem counter-intuitive, but in the end, it will be well worth the time.
Next Steps!
There are no rules that say different people must share the roles. In many cases, key players in your organization already have commitments in day to day operations. Spreading out the responsibilities of a new training initiative is less overwhelming when shared.
NexTech Academy has done the hard part, organized the online vocational training required to teach the craft’s of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical so that a business can create competent and confident technicians with little to no experience.
How do you know if you are ready to enroll in NexTech Academy?
Here’s a checklist to consider now that you know the roles:
- Who in your business could step into these roles?
- Are there knowledgeable technicians on-staff that would wish to contribute more to the company?
- Is the service manager able to manage a more significant and productive field staff?
- Who in your company can hold people accountable for their commitments and possess organizational skills?
If you check off everything on this list then you are ready for NexTech Academy! If you have new hires or are interested in our online vocational training, get started with us today or call us at (651) 426-2000.
