Establishing Training Goals

Any repair shop with just one skilled technician can help solve the repair tech shortage by taking on an apprentice as long as you provide a plan.

In a previous article, I discussed how to establish compensation that drives production as the first part of this plan. The second part is establishing training goals that set the course for the apprentice to become profitable to your team while they learn.

CULTURE FIRST
I train apprentices so they can be hired by you. Your shop may train apprentices to fill your own needs. Either way, establishing and maintaining company culture is essential and this starts with who you bring on. You may need to pass on someone willing to learn the trade if they do not fit within your culture (encourage them to learn but from somewhere else).

When you do start training someone, clearly establish your cultural expectations and hold them to it. The costs of allowing your culture to slip are too high. Furthermore, coach your trainer on how to maintain culture rather than lording influence.

CRAWL BEFORE YOU RUN
A mistake often made is to expect more from someone than they currently have the skills for. When training techs, this happens by asking them to disassemble an instrument before they understand the geometry, or having them solder a post on a saxophone before they can skillfully control heat.

To successfully train anyone, consider how to break a given task down into its smallest pieces, ensuring they have an understanding of the necessary skills to be successful in the small things before you expect the larger applications of those skills.

By carefully considering the building up of small skills, which seems tedious and time consuming, you will greatly increase the rate with which someone learns. You’ll also notice a benefit to your current staff by asking them to focus on foundational skills for a moment.

“To successfully train anyone, consider how to break a given task down into its smallest pieces.”

SPECIFIC SKILLS
What does this person need to know? Are you training an entry-level prep tech or someone you expect to independently run your shop? You have options, so focus on building only the skills needed.

Write out the necessary skills this person needs to learn and organize them into a sequence which builds upon itself. This focus is essential to maximizing your investment in training.

SPEED AFTER COMPETENCE
I have a new tech who’s desperately trying to catch up to my production numbers. He’s at his bench more than I am, but I still outperform him. My three decades of experience enable me to make decisions or decide on a solution faster and consequently I produce more. This is natural.

Help your trainer see this law of nature and set realistic expectations on the trainee. To develop a trainee’s speed, be concerned with the trainee’s level of competence.

We celebrated how close this new tech came to matching my numbers last month because our focus on his competence is making him much faster at his craft.

HANDS-ON PROJECT
You’re now ready to create hands-on projects for your new apprentice. These should focus on developing skills and identifying if they have the disposition to do the trade.

I start apprentices with cleaning a chemical tank, and then making a soldering jig. If they’re to learn string repair, we make various tools they’ll use. These projects are practical to the shop and develop the technician without an instrument yet in their hands.

Then move to simple instrument tasks like chem cleaning a trumpet or restringing a violin. The purpose is to build skills and awareness in a structured way.

Establishing training goals isn’t enough. You must communicate them constantly. Your efforts will pay off by maintaining your company culture, and you’ll develop productive new technicians much faster. MI