One of my hero’s is Im Saroeun. The former rector of a Cambodia university built up CKN (Centre Kram Ngoy), a vocational training centre for rural electrification in Cambodia. CKN did finance its programme partly by taking care of the maintenance of the electricity systems in a number of hospitals. This provided the students with ample opportunities to learn on the job. It kept the costs of tuition down, and it assured the practical application of the theoretical knowledge.
In general, it is estimated that about 80 percent of all training during professional life is “on the job”. If such a large percentage of learning takes place “on the job”, then there is a world to win by making such training more effective.
On-the-job-training has a lot of advantages, but also a downside. Advantages are that it is highly practical and immediately relevant; it takes place in a known environment and makes use of existing workplace tools, machines, documents, and equipment. It does not cause extra logistical problems and absence of the workplace.
The downside is that the knowledge is often only applicable in the organisation where it is obtained, that it rarely follows a systematic curriculum, and that not every co-worker has the desirable interpersonal skills to teach others. Furthermore, it does not lead to an acknowledged certification of the acquired skill in most cases.
However, there are remedies, which could improve on-the-job-training immensely. Let me just mention a few of them:
– Companies can design a coherent curriculum for the positions they offer. They can include more generic aspects which would guarantee broader applicability of the knowledge acquired.
– They can train and encourage their employees on how to share knowledge with their colleagues.
– Together with the authorized institutions, they could issue certificates for acquired skills.
With a limited investment, a better on the job training could make an even more substantial contribution to lifelong learning.
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