ON THE JOB AND OFF THE JOB TRAINING

Employee training is a workplace initiative that equips staff with the knowledge and abilities needed to enable and enhance job performance in their existing positions. However, while most businesses recognize the value of initial job training and educating new hires, many forgo investing in ongoing training and development at a high cost in terms of lost talent, productivity, and profits. (knowledgecity,2019).

Nowadays, training has become the core needs of the organization to develop specific skills in their existing and prospective employees. There are two methods for imparting training in workers are on-the-job training and off-the-job training. 

On the Job Training

A practical method for learning new competences and skills for a job in a real or nearly actual working setting is on-the-job training. It is frequently employed to learn how to utilize specific items or equipment in a real-world, simulated, or training setting.Instead of sending out worksheets or showing employees presentations, workers learn by doing. This instruction is given in the workplace under the direction of a manager, supervisor, or other experienced worker (Valamis,2021).

During their on-the-job training, new hires observe all the working practices they will come across. They get knowledge of the standards at work, how to use the equipment, and any other necessary skills. (Valamis,2021).

Depending on the tasks needed for the work, on-the-job training may take days, weeks, or even longer. New hires frequently begin by observing other workers before moving on to carrying out these responsibilities under supervision.

Figure 01: On-the-Job Training Methods, Source: Surbhi (2019)

In contrast, off-the-job training is a type of education in which workers attend a facility that is not their place of employment to learn more about their line of work or the most recent developments in it. In essence, this kind of training improves how well personnel carry out their duties. Off-the-job training, as contrast to on-the-job training, might take place in close proximity to the workplace or farther away, such as at a resort or training facility. Employers can reduce distractions by holding training sessions away from the office so that employees can concentrate entirely on the information they are studying.

Employees explore fresh ideas to bring to the company and express their views and opinions throughout this kind of training. Employees often receive some sort of evaluation before the training is over. For instance, they can be subjected to an assessment that gauges how well they comprehend the information that their instructor gave them during the off-the-job training. Each trainee's performance and participation are evaluated. (Indeed,2022).

Figure 01: Off-the-job Training Methods, Source: Surbhi(2019)

According to the Surbhi(2019) table comparing the differences between on-the-job-training and off-the-job-training.

Basis For Comparison	On-The-Job Training	Off-The-Job Training
Meaning	On the job training refers to a form of training which is provided at the work place during the performance of the actual job.	When the employees are given training outside the actual work location, such a type of training is termed as off the job training.
Approach	Practical	Theoretical
Active participation	Yes	No
Location	At the workplace	Away from the workplace
Principle	Learning by performing	Learning by acquiring knowledge
Work disruption	No, because trainees produce the products during learning.	Yes, because first training is provided which is followed by a performance.
Carried out by	Experienced employees	Professionals or experts.
Cost	Inexpensive	Expensive
Suitable for	Manufacturing firms	Non-manufacturing firms

 

Video: Training Methods in Human Resource Development | On Job Training vs Off Job Training (Source: Retail & Marketing Concepts,2021)

Conclusion: On-the-job training emphasizes practical skills, includes in-the-moment learning experiences, and expands learning capacity. On the other hand, classroom learning techniques including projects, presentations, case studies, and assignments are used in off-the-job training.

References:

Indeed (2022) What is the off-the-job training? Methods and benefits [Online] Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/off-the-job-training (Accessed on April,2023)

knowledgecity,(2019).What is Employee Training and Why Is It Important to Corporations? [Online] Available at: https://www.knowledgecity.com/blog/employee-training/(Accessed on April,2023)

Retail & Marketing Concepts(2021) Training Methods in Human Resource Development | On Job Training vs Off Job Training [online] Jul 10, 2021. Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlqAlYIwPkE [Accessed 28 April 2023]

Surbhi,S.(2019) Difference Between On-the-job and Off-the-job training[Online] Available at:

https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-on-the-job-and-off-the-job-training.html (Accessed on April,2023)

Valamis, (2021).Learning and Development: On-the-job training [Online] Available at: https://www.valamis.com/hub/on-the-job-training#:~:text=On%2Dthe%2Djob%20training%20(%20OJT%20)%20is%20a%20practical,%2C%20simulated%2C%20or%20training%20environment  (Accessed on April,2023)