Muscle builders do it. Obstetricians and Gynaecologists do it. Some seventeen-year-old drivers do it too. What is ‘it’?
Maintain a training log book.
A training log book is used to record informal training and operational experience obtained in situ (the workplace, on the road, etc). This training/experience usually comes after the person has received formal training from a qualified instructor, or RTO, and knows the basics of what they are doing.
The benefits of using a training log book include:
- experience is gained under a range of conditions and over a period of time
- training is on a one-on-one basis
- the trainee has a mentor who can react to their specific needs and learning style to ensure training is effective
- ongoing informal assessment and feedback is given to the trainee
- trainee and supervisor are both held accountable for conducting the training and the training outcomes.
The training log book can be used for any type of training and it doesn’t have to be a book. It can be a loose sheet of paper or an electronic record, as long as it can be saved, retrieved and reused, is easy to use, and includes the following details:
- trainee’s name and contact details
- employer/workplace name and address (if applicable)
- the type and scope of work/task performed by the trainee
- the date on which the work/task was performed
- the type of equipment used or operated
- the name and contact details of the person supervising the work/task
- signature of supervisor.
The information recorded in the log book can be used:
- to help determine if a trainee is ready for further assessment or work placement
- to meet legal requirements in some industries and training situations
- as evidence of training and experience in an investigation or legal proceeding.
There are many training log books out there. You just have to find the one that suits the trainee, the task, and the organisation. It should also be relatively inexpensive, simple to use and allow accurate entry of valid, reliable and relevant information.
Check out Pertrain’s Training Log Book to see if it can help to make your training easier and your workplace safer.
Sources:
Organisation for Economic co-operation and Development, Young Drivers: The Road to Safety, 2006, http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/safety/YDpolicyBrief.pdf
Queensland Department of Education and Industrial Relations, Log Book, 2012, http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/licensingregistrations/training/plans/logbook/index.htm#.UvrHN0KSznw
