Page 141 - DMGT518_TRAINING_AND_DEVELOPMENT_SYSTEM

Training and Development System

Notes
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Case Study Primus Company Training Plans

he Primus Company has found that special training of new employees for shop
work is both essential and expensive. For that reason, the Human Resource
Tdepartment has undertaken several studies of voluntary separations and has
developed a number of programmes to reduce undesirable turnover. Despite these efforts,
the company faces heavy demands for pre-shop training each year. In planning for the
future, HR estimates that replacement of an anticipated growth will require that about 200
new employees each year must be provided with this type of instruction.
Analysis of job requirements and experience indicates that, on an average, each employee
should receive equivalent of 40 hours of practice instruction in special machine operation
and 20 hours of background theory. Not all employees require precisely the same training,
because educational backgrounds and personal experience are varied. While it is not
feasible to tailor each individual’s training, to permit some flexibility in that direction the
overall training combines theory and practice. New employees take one or more of these
units in sequence during their first year employment.

HR’s training development division has experimented with a variety of training methods,
including lectures, teaching machines, on-the-job instruction, and a special vestibule
practice laboratory. Two distinct types of training units have been developed out of this
experience. First, Job Instruction Training (J.I.T.) practice is provided on the job in the
shop, and thereby is presented in classroom lectures. In the other type of unit - called
Vestibule School Training (VST), teaching machines provide the instruction in theory, and
practice is supervised in a special vestibule school laboratory.

The two types of units vary in the way they combine instruction in theory and practice.
The J.I.T. programme combines four hours of theory and twenty hours of practice in each
unit. The V.S.T. programme includes equal numbers of equivalent hours in theory and
practice, ten of each is the standard package or unit. Experience with these units indicates
that costs per unit are different. The J.I.T. unit costs ` 750, the V.S.T. unit costs ` 1,000 per
trainee.
It is evident that the total demands for training in both theory and practice could be met
using only one type of unit, using J.I.T. for this purpose would cost ` 75,000 per year. To
accomplish the total job using V.S.T. would cost ` 80,000. Preliminary discussion with the
comptroller indicates that he favours buying the J.I.T. package.
HR’s training director argues for a combination of the two. He concludes that such an
arrangement will be more efficient and more satisfying to trainees and will increase the
flexibility of the training programme. The HR director favours such a combination on the
ground that it can meet total requirements in both theory and practice with impressive
savings in costs.

Question
As the most recent addition to the HR department, you have the assignment of discovering
the best unit mix.

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