The Transformation of On-the-Job Training

On-the-Job training is a critical part of learning strategy; thanks to progress in learning platforms, the availability of mixed reality technology, and taking a process and role-based training approach, it can now be more efficient, more engaging, and more effective than ever before.

A Brief History of On-the-Job Training

Before the advent of digital learning, ‘on-the-job’ training (OJT) used to be the main way people learned how to do their jobs. A new hire walked through the door, was put to work alongside someone with experience, and learned in a ‘hands-on’ way the skills, knowledge, and competencies that were needed. It could work well, did rely heavily on the expertise and communication skills of the experienced team member. In the absence of the right tools, it could be inconsistent, inefficient, and difficult to manage and document.

As life sciences moved to greater standardization and SOPs, paper checklists and sign-offs were introduced. This led to some improved consistency but still left the challenge of keeping everything aligned and up-to-date, especially in global organizations. And then eLearning came along, with all its benefits of consistency and availability, and parts of the OJT process were replaced by computer-based training. A combination of confused processes and inadequate digital tools left OJT without innovation for decades. So why is it now undergoing a bit of a resurgence?

Competency, Qualification, and Modern OJT Requirements??

Training records are frequently reviewed by auditors and inspectors, to verify whether individuals performing regulated activities are appropriately qualified to perform their responsibilities. But inspectors are not just looking for evidence of training, they’re looking for how competency and qualification have been assessed and determined, and that’s where organizations are leveraging new on-the-job training approaches. But how has OJT evolved, and what does a modern workforce need from this approach? Here are a few elements that a modern OJT strategy needs to deliver:

• Digitized and aligned tools: Evaluations and assessments clearly need to be performed digitally, but it’s also critical that the tools and templates used are managed as part of a rigorous process. They need to be fully aligned and up-to-date with associated procedures.?
• Configurable yet consistent assignments: That may seem like an oxymoron, but jobs and tasks are sometimes being managed, assigned, and completed by different people, to increase speed and resourcing flexibility. That means just-in-time assignment flexibility is needed, to ensure consistent qualification regardless of who is performing a task.?
• Global and remote capabilities: Geographic challenges have increased as organizations and oversight have become more global, and remote working has become more commonplace. Digital and harmonized OJT processes need to allow for consistency in competency-based assessment, regardless of job location.?
• Rapid onboarding: Rapid growth frequently results in pressure to onboard and operate as fast as possible (drive to decrease 'door to floor' time). In the case of manufacturing organizations, expedited onboarding can be critical to the timely production of life-saving therapies.???
• Timing and Relevance: There’s a widespread desire to take more of a 'just-in-time' and 'just-as-if' approach – delivering real-world simulations and scenario-based learning when it’s needed. There is also greater understanding and emphasis on communicating the underlying ‘why?’ behind training as well as the ‘how?’ of a particular process.?

So, let’s consider two different, but related, areas of OJT advancement:

Advancing OJT via a Learning Platform

The birth of the Learning Management System (LMS) heralded a new world of self-paced assignments and training records, and the opportunity for greater consistency and governance. It also brought with it the risk of disconnection and inconsistency, so the approach we have taken at Veeva is to unify document management, quality management, and learning management on a single Vault Quality platform. This ensures consistency and alignment, and that employees are being provided with ‘one version of the truth’ when reviewing content on how to perform their roles. This also applies to OJT management capabilities, where rather than OJT being a standalone checklist that needs to be cross-referenced to other components, it can take the form of a blended curriculum that culminates in an evaluation workflow.

This approach means the qualification or ‘sign-off’ can be connected to your overall training program. You can ensure that individuals have comprehended the different components of a training requirement by confirming a review of documents or video, taking a quiz, then perhaps observing someone perform an activity. And then when a learner performs the activity themselves, they can be assessed by an evaluator who is able to assess the on-the-job behaviours that are taking place. But how about the requirement for OJT to be able to be performed with a new hire and evaluator in different locations? That brings us to the second area of OJT advancement.????

Blended Learning and Mixed Reality: A Modern Approach to Qualification and Evaluation

Taking blended curricula a step further, is there a way we can make scenario-based training more real? More consistent? And perhaps better enable remote guidance and evaluation?

Mixed reality devices, such as HoloLens or tablets, enable the learner to experience a blend of physical and virtual information and objects that coexist and interact with each other. The information can be both visual and auditory and requires physical engagement and activity. Learning in this environment can be self-paced, but really comes into its own for OJT when there is a need for demonstration, guidance, or competency evaluation. The learner and trainer/assessor can be in different locations but see what each other sees (in the physical and digital world) via their devices.

This multisensory hands-on approach supports OJT and minimizes the need for extensive SOP review, reducing time taken while increasing relevance to the learner. This can empower companies to easily evaluate, demonstrate, and document their employees’ competencies and qualifications. It provides the opportunity to record the training and sign off in an LMS directly through the HoloLens, making the process of qualification and evaluation more efficient and streamlined.

One important aspect to note is that implementing Mixed Reality GxP training requires a robust governance model for the development and maintenance of content. With the use of a framework like NNIT’s Governance Engine and Veeva’s Vault Training (LMS), content can be managed in a fully validated environment. This ensures an audit trail of content changes and approval workflows and provides GxP-compliant training records to meet the needs of regulators.

So that’s OJT advancement in terms of platform and technology, but is there something we also need to consider in relation to our overall strategy and approach?

Rethinking Training Assignment: From a Traditional Functional Structure to a Process and Role-Based Approach

To transform training outcomes, a modern strategy also needs to consider how to get the right training to the right employees - without overloading or undertraining them. Traditional training methods often operate on a functional basis, where training is assigned to individuals based on job title or department. This approach is straightforward to manage but does not allow for flexible resourcing models and individualized training. It can also expose companies to vulnerabilities during organizational changes.

Adopting a process and role-based approach, however, means building your training requirements around the distinct roles in each business process, rather than each job or department. Competencies are defined based on the process role, and learning objectives and evaluation criteria are set for roles rather than jobs. This offers a more dynamic and learner-centric framework and enables organizations to flexibly resource tasks and ensure the associated training is completed ‘just-in-time’. It typically results in better employee engagement and can prevent the training overload that so often occurs with functional ‘just-in-case’ assignments.

Are You Making the Most of Modernized On-the-Job Training?

In conclusion, On-the-Job training (or should that be, ‘On-the-Role’ Training?) has seen significant developments in terms of learning platforms, mixed reality technology and alignment to process roles rather than functional requirements.

If you’re using OJT in your organization, it’s worth taking the time to review and assess whether you are making the most of what is now available. If you're not currently using OJT, why not consider it as part of your learning strategy?

To learn more about how Veeva and NNIT can support you in deploying modernized OJT,?take a look at Veeva Training Solutions and 21st-century training – Learning Management Systems (nnit.com).

For questions or feedback, contact Iain Searle at [email protected] or Sofie Kemner Aagaard at [email protected].