HVACR Training Under Trying Conditions

Using these platforms, groups can be split amongst multiple meeting rooms, or even individually using their smart devices.  In this type of training environment, it can sometimes be challenging to keep attention, especially if the individuals are at their personal residence.  To help keep focus and attention, small verbally asked quizzes can be implemented.  Break the training into 30min-1hr sections, and after the section, take a moment to ask each person attending a couple of questions to test their attentiveness.  This can be implemented into a typed quiz version for tracking grades and other follow up purposes. 

Visual aids are helpful during video conference training.  If you do not have a training unit or other test equipment to use as your visual aid, don’t sweat.  Power points are nice and provide a clean visual but can leave something to be desired if not built well.  Take new pictures for your power point, don’t just use the same old stock images, “freshen it up”.  Use animations, and other visual aids added to the power point to help build the image in the trainee’s mind.

Video

Another approach can be the use of videos.  These videos can be short, sweet, and to the point.  They also can be tied into your power point slides for better visuals. 

Some potentially helpful tips when making your videos:

Make them unique to your company, add an intro and end credits

Use music or jingles to “liven up” intros, credits, and other sections

Treat the camera like a person, make eye contact, stand up straight, speak clearly, etc.

Use “fast forward” features to get through monotonous parts of the video

Add text throughout the video for “tips”, “tricks”, and other messages

Keep it short & sweet

Don’t be afraid to crack a joke or do something funny with the video, keep it lively

Make the video available for review, put it in a central location where trainees can access it if they need a refresher

Use an “FPV” or First-Person View approach, wear a GoPro head mount or chest mount for your video footage, narrating as you work

Incorporate videos into meetings, morning mailers, and any other place a helpful reminder or tip could be applied.

On-site Training

Apprentice ride-along style training used to be the way of the world. A new hire would start, they would ride with a senior guy or several senior guys for a prolonged period. After the trainee had reached a certain level of proficiency, they would be slowly released to the world. This process has become rarer in recent years, with focus spent on auxiliary schooling such as trades schools, high school programs, and collage courses. Ride-alongs still happen but don’t seem as common as

years have passed.

Now is the time to fall back to "old reliable," the ride-along. It is not as efficient as reaching multiple people in one setting such as a classroom or online setting, but the quality of interaction can be far superior. Trainees seeing and being present during customer interactions, being with a senior technician to see how they go about troubleshooting or handling a particular situation, and even just the wording they use can be monumentally helpful in developing a trainee.

Small Groups

Break out small groups at a time, 1-3 people. This may take longer to get everyone through the training as you will have to hold many more meetings than just one or two, but the takeaway can be much greater. This is more of a “quality over quantity approach”.  

Use old equipment being removed during installs for training equipment, and have two or three units that are cleaned between groups. It is hard to do this kind of hands on training when you have 20 people attending; you would need 20 units or multiple people per unit. But when you break into 1-3 person groups,  every individual has their own unit, can think for themselves, and learn at their pace. It is also easier to address individual questions in this smaller environment.

Attendees seem to be more apt to ask questions when not in front of a large group also, so the shyness factor may leave.        

Training Must Continue

One thing is for certain, training cannot stop just because the world has been faced with a new challenge.  This challenge simply provides us with another opportunity to grow and become better equipped to overcome future struggles.

Training needs to continue, because the world of tomorrow will still require competent people to design, install, maintain, and repair the technology that makes our quality of life possible.

Ian Stiver is director of training for Munn's Sales & Service, Fruitland Park, Fla.