We sent the first batch for an internship for fifteen days in an actual warehouse but soon realised that it was not as fruitful as we thought it would be. Thus, came the idea of a simulated warehouse. It took some time to set it up - a true simulation, but the idea paid off. Students had a real-life scenario set up in front of them. They were working in a warehouse, where racking was available, moving between aisles, loading and unloading materials on low and high racks, balancing the forklift, doing pre-inspections. The simulated warehouse gave them the confidence.
When the client came in to review the progress, they were impressed. Trained individuals would prove to be an asset, they would save a lot of time and money.
The course has a service excellence component – generic soft skills and specific skills required by a Forklift Operator are covered. These were designed to be interactive sessions – games, activities, group discussions and reflections.
We further enhanced the course by aligning the coverage to the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the Qualification Pack (QP) associated with the job role for a Forklift Operator.
The concepts were taught using a lot of video demonstrations, diagrams and photographs. Real life examples were used to explain the physics related to the forklift.
A Forklift Operator is not only responsible for loading and unloading material but also has duties like doing a pre-inspection, reporting to the supervisor, understanding the daily work load, reporting machine issues etc. Photo-scenarios with conversations were used to depict administrative and interpersonal communications between forklift operators and supervisors.
This had the impact that it was designed for. The learners were familiar with their role and duties as a Forklift Operator right from the time they began their course. When they started work in the industry, they were absolutely comfortable with their daily routine. The only bit the organizations trained them on were on the specific company procedures, rules, and regulations.
Creating these scenarios was challenging and fun. The solution was engaging and relevant for training the target audience under consideration.
If you are planning to create new training programs or redesign what you already have and are looking for engaging learning solutions, reach out to me.