Workplace Training

Driving Seafood Industry Development

Sustainable Industry Development Through Training – A Case StudyPrepared for AquaEd ’08Sunshine Coast TAFE

1st August 2008

Vision

This can occur for individual workers, within work teams, business units or specific sectors.

Focus on targeted workplace training (WPT) priorities. The process builds on itself, the more people,

companies and sectors doing it, the better the quality and quantity of the outcomes.

The ‘Model’ once proven for Seafood Industry can then be adapted to other companies or even other industries (sold as IP or licensed for use as a CRC Product).

Workplace training and professional development are the

major drivers of cultural change, capacity development,

profitability and best practice adoption in the participants

of the Australian Seafood CRC (then whole industry).

Returns on Investment

Overseas & Australian research shows that returns to training investments are nearly always positive and can be very high.

The principle return to the employer from VET (Vocational Education Training) training is increased productivity or profitability.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research report “Enterprise return on a training investment” (by Doucouliagos & Sgro, 2008) showed that the financial and other returns from a well-designed training program are substantial.

A wide range of organisations were evaluated in the case study and these showed Return on Investment ranging from 30 per cent to 7,000 per cent!.

Needs of CRC Participant Companies

CRC = 29 organisations, 100s of participants

Industry needs cultural change – must come from within.

Employers want work force with increased skills, knowledge, efficiency, risk management, compliance, quality, multi-skilling, flexibility – must be directly applicable to the workplace!

Minimise time off work and provide job ready employees.

Traineeships & funding incentives important.

Needs of Employees

Employees want career pathways – need to see this as a life-time learning experience.

They want specific career or job outcomes – more responsibility with wider skills & knowledge, more money, ability to change jobs/sectors/locations, greater work satisfaction.

RPL for experienced operators needs to be more than tick and flick, must build respect for the validity of the system.

Needs range from single skill (UoC), skills set (several UoC) to full qualification (19-23 UoC).

K.I.S.S.

It’s not new stuff and it’s not reinventing the wheel.

It is simply using what is already in place:

– Companies within the CRC want change and need skilled staff to take up results from CRC R&D.

– Seafood Industry Training Package offers nationally accredited ‘standards’ = Units of Competency (UoC).

– Range of Universities, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and associated businesses already providing training, act as 3rd party assessors.

– Several funding sources available (traineeship incentives, CRC, FRDC, SSA, Rural Leadership, etc.).

Summary of the Major Processes

CRC TNA Process

Candidates

SelectedUnis &RTOs

WorkplaceTraining

New or Improved

Workplace Docs

&Systems

CRCIndustryMembers

Evidence

UoC

Qualificationor Skills Set

OtherFunding Sources

Improved Staff & Managers

Improved Productivity & Profitability

2 3

56

4

1A

QAContinual Improvement

IB

Training Plan

Advice

IC

WPT Priorities

CRC TNA Five-stage Approach

1. Company Training Scope Survey

2. Training Workbook — Developing a Training Plan

3. Consulting with a Training Advisor

4. Implementing the Training Plan

5. Training review and assessment.

Following consultation with industry and training providers, a five-stage process has been developed for CRC participants to identify and implement targeted staff and business development E&T:

CRC TNA Five-stage Approach

CRC TNA Five-stage Approach

1. The online Training Survey enables business owners or senior managers to broadly identify training needs across the business and typically takes 30-45 minutes to complete [free service].

2. The Training Workbook is a comprehensive tool for individuals or work teams to identify their specific training needs and design and customise their own training plan. It takes <1.5 hour per group/individual to complete, available in hard copy or on-line survey [free service].

3. Consulting with a Training Advisor recognises the need for assistance from specialist training consultants to review the company’s broad business processes and identify suitable training solutions, as well as identify opportunities for group training and sources of third-party funds for such training. The time required will vary depending on the needs of each business [subsidised service].

CRC TNA Five-stage Approach

4. CRC Quality Assured Training Providers can assist companies to access and implement their recommended training programs. While specific skills can be developed in a short period, the CRC and its Training Advisors are keen to develop a culture which acknowledges that people development is an essential element of business, and that this should be a continuous process [subsidised service].

5. Training review will re-visit the training plans and re-assess training priorities relative to the changing business or organisational environment. Consultation with CRC Training Advisors will assess how training has benefited their business using key performance indicators and self checks undertaken in Stage 3 [subsidised service].

WPT Benefits to Companies

Direct improvements to systems and processes.

Greater ability to innovate in terms of adopting new technology, especially the take up of CRC R&D outcomes.

New or upgraded existing workplace documents, particularly with respect to those for compliance (OH&S, food safety, environment).

Upskilling or multi-skilling of staff and managers provides greater flexibility amongst employees.

Induction of new staff = risk management.

Lower employee turnover and reduced recruitment costs.

WPT Benefits to Companies

Enhanced internal communication pathways.

Promotion of group learning and participation.

Assistance with compliance (eg. OH&S), lower WorkCover premiums for a decrease in work-related accidents.

KPI identification & analysis.

Reduced overhead costs such as more efficient use of existing facilities, lower consumable costs and reduced human resource expenses.

Support mechanisms for other changes in the business.

Implementation of TNA Process

Current 14-month project proposal from Lonsec,seven phases for targeted WPT:

1. Completion of TNA Survey administration & identification of CRC WPT priorities

2. Awareness raising amongst CRC management & participants

3. Approval of training providers & quality assurance,

4. Stage 1 TNA extension activities & showcase workshop

5. Stage 2 & Stage 3 development activities (training plans for prioritised WPT – ‘Master Classes’)

6. Stage 4 Training Implementation

7. Work Place Training Program Review.

Outputs of Lonsec’s WPT Project

Identification of WPT priorities for CRC participants.

Assisted uptake of Five Stage process for targeted staff and business development.

Widespread use of TNA Scoping Survey.

Identification of CRC participant WPT champions.

Identification of WPT funding sources.

Approval of providers for priority training.

Improved relationships between training providers & CRC participants.

Direct WPT assistance to companies/workers.

QA and continual improvement in systems.

Updated CRC database on participants, suppliers.

Drivers for Company Participation

Materials to efficiently assess training needs and to effectively develop a training plan.

Direct advice for undertaking priority training.

Funding assistance – no cold cash but good leverage with other sources.

Assistance with compliance (e.g. OH&S).

KPI identification & analysis.

Identification & assistance in dealing with training providers aligned to ‘Master Classes’.

Development of workplace document and systems.

WPT undertaken at all links in the seafood value chain.

Enhanced product quality and service (retail & hospitality).

Drivers for RTO Participation

Encouragement of a close working relationship with top end of industry – 29 organisations (>200 business units) contribute >85% of total seafood production in Australia.

E&T budget over 6 years > $7 million.

Can become recognised as ‘industry friendly’ = more enrolments, especially in ‘Master Classes’.

Industry-driven QA process with emphasis on meeting industry WPT priorities.

Increased opportunities for developing longer-term training contracts, including use of industry specialists for WPT.

WPT Benefits to CRC

Four of the Seafood CRC’s E&T TBP 'A, B, Sea' five important outcomes are paramount on this project being successful, namely: CRC industry participants have the necessary skills to implement and maximise the results

from CRC R&D for use in their businesses;

Creation of a ‘new breed of seafood managers’ who are entrepreneurial, collaborative, technically skilled, embrace technology and are globally focussed on the seafood value chain;

Seafood CRC participants have an improved ability to attract, train and retain staff; and

A revolution in the quality of service at interface between consumers and the seafood industry.

Additional WPT Benefits

CRC participants can trial new methods or processes as part of the training.

Participants benefit from improved systems and multi-skilled competent staff / management (third party assessed).

Collaboration between companies and seafood managers is encouraged.

Results in products (workplace documents and systems) which could be licensed for sale to people outside CRC, including overseas if appropriate.

Approach can be adopted for other industries, such as Rural, Meat, etc.

CRC Training Advisers

Roy Palmer CRC Workplace Training0419 528 733roy.palmer@seafoodcrc.com

Dos O’Sullivan Training Consultant Lonsec Ltd0418 130 595dosaqua@bigpond.com

Jim Blackburn Research Consultant Lonsec Ltd0408 881 075jim.blackburn@lonsec.com.au