With methods and technologies changing fast in so many areas, all workers need to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date. Besides, your older workers are valuable employees, who tend to have a stronger sense of loyalty and commitment to the job and the organization, a better work ethic, a better attendance record, better judgment, lower turnover, and fewer accidents.
Older workers have their own set of needs that should be taken into account when being trained on the job. To make the most out of your time and training dollars, here are some do’s and don’ts of training older workers.
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Training Dos
Older workers learn best when training:
- Builds on prior knowledge and experience
- Follows a step-by-step approach
- Allows plenty of time to assimilate information (self-paced learning is often ideal for older workers)
- Provides handouts to be taken home for study
- Gives an adequate opportunity for practice
- Provides support and encouragement
- Involves plenty of interaction, discussion, feedback, etc.
- Provides a positive learning environment (a well-lit area, easy-to-see visual aids, good acoustics so that trainees can hear clearly, and frequent breaks to use rest rooms, etc.)
What Not to Do When Training Older Workers
Unfortunately, trainers sometimes fall into the trap of pigeonholing older workers, and as a result, the training they provide doesn’t meet the needs of this important segment of the workforce. For example:
- Don’t stereotype older workers. They aren’t all sitting around waiting for retirement. They are productive, competent people with lots of valuable knowledge and experience.
- Don’t assume older workers can’t or don’t want to learn new technologies. They can acquire the necessary skills effectively when appropriate training is available–and are often eager to do so in order to remain on the job and continue to make a meaningful contribution.
- Don’t waste time teaching them what they already know and can already do proficiently.
- But don’t assume just because of their age and experience that they don’t need training. They may lack required skills or need refresher training.
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The Business Case for Training Older Workers
Despite the growing number of older people in the workforce, some employers are reluctant to spend training dollars on older workers. They may think that they won’t be with the company long enough to make it worthwhile, or that their experience lessens the return on training. But middle-aged and older workers currently outnumber younger workers and so it just makes good business sense to make sure they get the training they need to continue to work safely and productively at your facility.
A Powerful Training Resource
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