Employee training, which is a subsystem of Human Resource Development is a specialized function and is one of the fundamental operations of Human Resource Management.

Training is an organized activity for increasing the knowledge and skill for a definite purpose.

Training thus involves systematic procedures for transferring technical expertise to motivate employees to increase their knowledge and skills for doing specific jobs with proficiency.
After employees have undergone training, they acquire technical knowledge (skills) and problem-solving ability. Training also improves and changes employees’ aptitude (capacity) and attitude (approach, and mind-set) towards the requirements of the job and organization.

OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE OF TRAINING
Training is very important for both new and existing employees, since it is an attempt to improve current or future performance.
Specifically the objectives and main purpose of training may be as follows:

1.       To assist employees to function more effectively in their present positions by exposing them to the latest techniques, information etc. and developing the skills they will need in their particular fields.
2.       T o bring about change in workers attitude towards fellow workers, supervisors and the organization as a whole.
3.       To reduce the number of accidents in the work place through safety training for workers.
4.       To enable workers handle materials, machines, and equipment more professionally.
5.       To match employee specifications with the job requirement and organizational needs.
6.       To equip employees with new skills when there is change in job assignment.
7.       Training may also be necessary in the following cases: improve quality of product or service, effecting personal growth, prevent obsolescence, as a measure to minimize the resistance to change.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Training involves learning basic skills and knowledge required for a particular job or group of jobs.
Development on the other hand means growth of the individual in all aspects.

BENEFITS OF TRAINING TO EMPLOYERS
1.       Higher Productivity: Training increases the skills of the employees, which leads to increase in both quantity and quality of output.
2.       Standardization of Procedures: Training enables employees to perform at higher level, because they work intelligently and minimize their mistakes.
3.       Less Supervision: Having acquired the needed training, the employees are able to work with less or no supervision.
4.       Higher Morale among employees
5.       Preparation of Future Managers
6.       Increases earning ability of employees
7.       Reduces redundancy (chances of job loss)

TYPES OF TRAINING
Several types of training programmes may be offered to employees, which are not mutually exclusive but invariably overlap and employ many common techniques.
Some of the important types of training are as follows:

1. Induction or Orientation Training
2. Job Training
3. Apprenticeship Training
4. Internship Training
5. Refresher training or Retraining
6. Training for Promotion



1.       Induction or Orientation Training
This training is concerned with introducing or orienting a new employee to the organization, its procedures, rules, and regulations. This training gets the new employee introduced and helps him/her to get a general idea about the rules and regulations, working conditions etc of the organization.

It is a very short informative training given immediately after recruitment, which creates a feeling of involvement in the minds of the newly appointed employees.

2.       Job Training
Job training is a specialized kind of training that relates to a specific job, which the worker has to handle. It gives information about machines, process of production, instruction to be followed, methods to be used etc.
It develops the skills and confidence among the workers and enables them to perform the job efficiently. Job training is the most common of formal in-house training programmes.

3.       Apprenticeship Training
Apprenticeship training programme tends more towards education than merely on vocational training. Under this, both knowledge and skills in doing a job or a series of related jobs are involved.
The usual apprenticeship programmes combine on the job training and experience with classroom instructions in particular subjects.

The trainees receive wages whiles learning and acquiring skills, which command high wages in the labour market. Apprenticeship training is desirable in industries, which require a constant flow of new employees expected to become all-round artisans (craftsmen). It is very much prevalent in printing trades, building and construction, and crafts like mechanics, electricians, welders etc.

4.       Internship Training
Under this method, the educational or vocational institute enters into an arrangement with an industrial enterprises for providing practical knowledge to its students. Internship training is usually meant for such vocations where advanced theoretical knowledge is to be backed by practical experience on the job. For instance, engineering students are sent to big industries and medical students are sent to big hospitals to get practical knowledge.

The period of such training may vary from three months to two years. The trainees do not belong to the business enterprise, but they come from the vocational or professional institutes. The enterprise offering the trainees the internship may choose to absorb them after completing their training by offering the suitable jobs.

5.       Refresher Training or Retraining
As the name implies, the refresher training is meant for all employees of the enterprise. The basic purpose of refresher training is to acquaint the existing workforce with the latest methods of performing jobs and improve on their efficiency. Retraining programmes are designed to avoid personnel obsolescence. The skills of existing personnel become obsolete because of technological changes and because of the tendency of the human being to forget things.
Refresher training is essential because of the following factors:

a.       The workers require training to bring them up-to-date with knowledge and skills and to relearn what they have forgotten.
b.       Rapid technological changes make even the qualified worker obsolete with time because new technology is associated with new work-methods and job requirements.
c.       Refresher training becomes necessary as new jobs are created due to changes in demand for goods and services to be handled by the existing employees.

6.       Training for Promotion
In many organization, talented and hardworking employees are may be given adequate training to make them eligible for promotion to higher jobs in the organization. The promotion of an employee means a significant change in his responsibilities and duties. Therefore, it is essential that he be provided with sufficient training to learn new skills to perform his new duties efficiently.

The purpose of training for promotion is to develop the existing employees to make them fit for undertaking higher job responsibilities.

METHODS OF TRAINING
Different training methods are suitable for different categories of personnel in the organization: managerial, non-managerial, technical, administrative, skilled, unskilled, senior, junior, etc.
The various methods of training may be classified into the following categories:

1. Vestibule Training 
2. On- the-Job Training
3.  Off-the-Job Training

1.       Vestibule Training It is adapted to the environment at the place of work.

2.       On-the-Job Training (at the place of work)
On-the-job training is considered the most effective method of training the operative personnel. Under this method, the worker is given training at the work place by his immediate supervisor. In other words, the worker learns in the actual work environment. It is based on the principle of ‘learning by doing’


On-the-job training is suitable for impacting skills that can be learnt in relatively short period of time. It has the chief advantage of strongly motivating the trainee to learn not located in an artificial situations. It permits the trainee to learn on the equipment and in the work environment. On-the-job training methods are relatively cheaper and less time consuming.

There are three methods of on-the-job training described below:

i.       Coaching: Under this method, the supervisor imparts job knowledge and skills to his or her subordinate. The emphasis in coaching or instructing the subordinate is on learning by doing. This method is very effective if the supervisor has sufficient time to provide coaching to his subordinates.
ii.       Understudy: The superior gives training to a subordinate as his or her understudy or assistant. The subordinate learns through experience and observation. It prepares the subordinate to assume the responsibilities of the superior’s job in case the superior leaves the organization.
iii.       Position Rotation: The purpose of position rotation is to broaden the scope of the employee. The employee is expected to have a fair knowledge of what goes on in other departments or units within the same organization

3.       Off-the-Job Training (away form the place of work)