The shipping industry is not static. From operations and logistics, to accounting and business analytics–whatever your role in the shipping arena is at your company, you know the rate at which the industry changes is lightning fast. Training that’s shipping specific at the basic level might be overlooked at companies–even those with shipping at the core of their operations.
A 2018 LinkedIn Learning article, Workplace Learning Report: The Rise and Responsibility of Talent Development in the New Labor Market, highlighted learning and development in the workplace; research showcases the importance of continued learning from within. In fact, executives polled for this report considered “identifying trends to prevent future skill gaps” the second most important objective related to learning and development within their businesses. Yet, the report reflects only 78% of executives believe employees are actively engaged in learning and development.
This means you could be indirectly hurting your bottom line by overlooking training opportunities in the shipping realm…and we happen to know a pedagogy expert that can shed some light! In other words, we asked our former teacher of 13 years turned VeriShip employee for some strategies of instruction (i.e., pedagogy) to help ensure your industry training is up to par.
“It’s critical to keep your shipping stakeholders up-to-date on industry happenings.” – Natalie, VeriShip’s training expert.
Below are three training themes your business should consider when developing training specific to shipping-operations employees:
- Learning is multidimensional: Help your team retain important information by catering to each team member’s unique learning styles.
Podcasts and webinars are helpful resources in today’s training fields. Don’t be afraid to find niche training materials to use as training supplements. (In fact, our very own VeriShip team is kicking off a free podcast designed specifically for the shipping market. Stay tuned for more updates!) Quizlet holds a place in Natalie’s training toolbox as an educational resource. In addition to simply talking about the shipping industry, provide your team with multiple sources, such as something to read, something to listen to, and an activity to do.
- Boring is not the adult-learning norm: Your childhood days may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean you must stick to mundane lectures and presentations.
Natalie encourages creative learning through training videos, activities and group talk environments: “Our Lunch and Learn training sessions have proven to be a great opportunity for the entire team to embrace parcel-focused, continued learning on a social level. Feed them and they will come–happy and eager to listen! VeriShip’s training is focused on adult learning theories. Make sure that your learners are actively involved in the learning process so that the information will “stick”!
- Training is never over: The only guarantee in training is that it’s constantly changing.
From the Pony Express to delivery via drone, history has proven that the shipping industry is in a constant phase of evolution. Your training updates must mimic the shipping industry pulse. Plan to refresh and/or revisit your training materials twice a year (quarterly is even better). Source training materials and systems that reinforce adaptability; One tip to keep up with an ever evolving learning environment is to invest in a learning management system. That way you can easily update your team’s knowledge base while simultaneously keeping track of their learning.
…and to think, all of the above tips are just related to the training side of your operations–the shipping struggle is real. To help you embark on a training refresh or to just get started, we’ve developed a ready-to-use surcharges Quizlet training piece for your business–enjoy!
