Heather Stockwell gets advice from member Rich Lucas on how to set up a training academy to ensure new employees have the required levels of soft and IT skills needed to work on a technical services desk.

• This can take care of most of your company procedures etc. After induction is over, they start on your "academy."

Timescale it

• Have a set period of time of the new starters time in the academy so they have something to aim for. Also hand them a timescale of how things will pan out during the time, when training will take place etc.

Meet weekly

• Meet with each one of your team weekly, to find out what’s going well and what isn't, you should be identifying training needs continually in this stage.

Make it real

• Have them perform their job role, maybe assisting a more experienced member of staff as it is essential they learn it.

Finish with a test

• Design a test that the members have to take at the end of their time in the academy with a set pass mark. This allows you to assess their knowledge but in my opinion it gives the participant a sense of achievement which will carry over into their role.

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