New Hire Training Requirements
Q: I am required by my state to provide 40 hours of training for new hires within their first 90-days of employment. What are some options?
A: This new hire training requirement can be difficult to achieve, not to mention very costly. Because of the time limitation, it is often not an option to wait for manufacturer or trade show events where many, and less expensive, training opportunities are available. Consequently, you may need to send the employee somewhere for training, incur travel expenses, and the cost of pulling employees out of the field. The other obvious problem is that given the high turnover rate in certain positions this training can be a wasted investment.
Determine the type of training that best suits the needs of your employees and fulfills your state requirements. Then, seek that training online. Most all of your training requirements can be met online and many states today allow this new hire training requirement to be completed in this format. And, the cost will always be significantly less.
There are currently online courses available covering Basic Electricity, Job Site Etiquette, Cabling, Access Control Systems, Installation considerations and dozens more. Hundreds of hours of online training are available to security professionals today. The most recognized trade associations, including SIA, CSAA, NBFAA, ASIS and others, sponsor many of these courses. Contact them to explore your options.
Trade Show Training
Q: Many of the trade shows offer training opportunities. Are these worth my time, or the fee they sometimes charge?
A: There are often two types of educational opportunities at trade shows—industry training sessions and manufacturer training sessions. Industry training sessions offer information on a wide range of security industry topics and technologies and often provide opportunities for continuing education units. Manufacturer training sessions are typically product or solution specific and are designed to educate you and gear you towards a purchase.
Whether or not one type of session is worth your time and money really depends on your goals. Unless you are interested in learning about a specific product, or you need to do investigative work before making a purchase, the manufacturer training sessions may be too “sales oriented” to meet your needs.
CEUs cannot be offered for sessions that are product specific. Industry training sessions can be a better bet, especially if you are going to receive continuing education for your investment. You are still gambling on the quality of the presenter and presentation. Try to select presentations where the trainer is well known if possible.
Connie Moorhead is the President of The CMOOR Group and founder of SecurityCEU.com, Louisville, KY. CMOOR is a full-service education solution provider, custom online content development and Webinar service firm focusing exclusively on the security, manufacturing, and construction industries. SecurityCEU is an industry certification resource and online continuing education provider. Send your training questions and needs to [email protected].
