While the old adage goes that experience is the best teacher, training in the workplace is a fact of life in almost every industry. The type of training you'll be expected to complete in your job depends on your workplace, but for most employees, training is an integral part of the job from the time of hire to the time you retire.
Mandated Training
Depending upon the type of industry and applicable state and federal regulations, some types of training may be mandated by law. OSHA or other industry regulation safety training is required for many workplaces, as are more specialized required training programs.
Healthcare providers, for example, are generally required to provide blood-borne pathogen training to their employees, while states such as California and Maine require all employers to provide sexual harassment training to employees.
Certain job fields may also require ongoing employee training to satisfy continuing education or certification requirements. An example is the statutory continuing education required for education professionals.
State licensing or accreditation agencies will provide employers with the training requirements for their industry.
New Hire Training
Most employers require new hires to complete training intended to familiarize employees with the responsibilities required for the job. This training will vary from workplace to workplace, but may include training on topics related to the job itself and information related to the industry. Any legally mandated training may be part of new hire training, as with blood-borne pathogen training for healthcare workers.
Management Training
Supervising employees requires specialized skills, and most employers require management-level employees to undergo training in the management of employees as part of promotion or a new hire training program. Management training often includes information on coaching employees, hiring and firing employees and evaluating employee performance.
Systems Training
Almost every workplace requires specialized equipment -- i.e., computers, machinery or technology -- that employees must know how to operate. As part of a new-hire training program, an introduction to new technology to a workplace, or to help employees stay abreast of integral technologies, employers may institute systems training to ensure employees are equipped for the job.
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Writer Bio
A writer and information professional, J.E. Cornett has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lincoln Memorial University and a Master of Science in library and information science from the University of Kentucky. A former newspaper reporter with two Kentucky Press Association awards to her credit, she has over 10 years experience writing professionally.