If you hold a position as training manager we are sorry to bring you the bad news, but there is a big possibility your seafarers think that spending time to participate in shore based training courses is a burden. You might be putting your heart and soul into a training plan for your seafarers who actually wish training would disappear from their to-do list whilst ashore, and think that training is a useless waste of their time, – time that they can use for other activities (like for example spending time with their family).
We know it is unfair and harsh, but can you really blame them?
This is why we see a trend in the maritime industry where HSQE managers and training managers are looking for alternative ways forward when it comes to implementing shore based training programmes. Often they will ask the question; “Will it be an option to transfer our shore based learning and development programmes to the vessel?” “Can we justify such arrangement seen from an educational point of view?”
The 70:20:10 principle
The answer is yes – if we base ourselves on the 70:20:10 principle for Learning and Development. This is a commonly used principle within the training profession to describe the optimal sources of learning. According to this, individuals obtain 70 percent of their knowledge from job-related experiences, 20 percent from interactions with others, and 10 percent from formal traditional training courses.
The 70:20:10 principle is considered to be of greatest value as a general guideline for organisations seeking to maximise the effectiveness of their learning and development programs through other activities and inputs. The principle continues to be widely employed by organisations throughout the world.
Hands-on experience
The model’s creators hold that hands-on experience (the 70 percent) is the most beneficial for employees because it enables them to discover and refine their job-related skills, make decisions, address challenges and interact with influential people such as team leaders and mentors within work settings. They also learn from their mistakes and receive immediate feedback on their performance.
Learn from others
Employees learn from others (the 20 percent) through a variety of activities that include social learning, coaching, mentoring, collaborative learning and other methods of interaction with peers. Encouragement and feedback are prime benefits of this valuable learning approach.
Traditional courses
The formula holds that only 10 percent of professional development optimally comes from formal, traditional courses, a position that typically surprises instructors from traditional shore based training centres, and which contradicts the fact that most training is actually taking place in this way.
Just recently we have finalised two on board learning and development programmes in Green-Jakobsen in accordance with this 70:20:10 principle. We have asked Søren Eliassen, H&S Manager/Deputy DPA/CSO in Maersk Supply Service A/S and Maarten Colman, HSEQ Manager in Exmar Shipmanagement NV to share with us why they decided to follow the on board training path and the experiences they have gained so far. These interviews will follow in the next two GJ Academy articles.
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