5 Tips to Make Learning Stick Year-Round

Most of us have attended a conference billed as “The can’t-miss training and networking event for FILL IN THE BLANK professionals.” These experiences offer opportunities to learn from industry experts and peers. But we don’t reap the full benefits if we hit the snooze button on professional development the rest of the year. The same principle applies to risk management training.

Follow these tips to ensure your employees take the lessons they learn into classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, and band halls every day.

1. Choose the Right Topics

You have a lot on their plate during the academic year. So, how do you know where to focus your training efforts?

Get general. Some topics apply across the organization, regardless of job title or responsibilities. Examples include:

• Accident prevention plan
• Emergency procedures
• Phishing scams
• Regulatory-required training (available to Fund members at no additional cost)

Get specific. Training should include job-specific topics, such as :

• Roof inspections for facilities staff
• Hazardous chemical training for custodial staff
• Fraudulent instruction scams targeting employees who handle district finances
• Collision investigations for transportation staff

Dig into data. Visit the Fund Data Center and tap in to detailed information about your claims and identify employee training gaps.

Talk to your team. They know the hazards of their jobs better than anyone. You can elevate employee engagement by discussing actual incidents. For example, an employee who recently suffered a slip injury can share the circumstances and explain how he or she could have prevented the accident.

Tap into seasonal risks. Some risks ramp up as seasons change. The Fund’s InsideRM blog is a repository for information on seasonal risks such as burst pipes, hail, and heat illness.

2. Deliver Information in Bite-Size Chunks

Training doesn’t have to be an “event” that comes with logistical headaches and budgetary commitments. The custodial crew can carve out 10 minutes in the morning to talk about safely disinfecting your facilities. Similarly, the maintenance team might benefit from a short, post-lunch discussion on how to use personal protective equipment. 

Related resource: Fund Training Toolkits empower members to deliver focused training on real risks their employees face (login required).

3. Tell, Show, Do

Apps, virtual reality, and other high-tech tools are revolutionizing employee training. Still, one of the most effective strategies relies on a time-tested formula:

1. Tell the group what you want them to know. For example, explain that because the organization has suffered a rash of back injuries, you’re going to teach them how to protect themselves.
2. Show employees what you want them to take away from the session by demonstrating the steps to a safe lift.
3. "Do" means giving the group hands-on experience with the task. Let them practice to be sure they understand.

Pro tip: Pair new employees with experienced peers who can ensure the training stuck.

4. Invite Guest Trainers

Sometimes, training resonates stronger when it is delivered by someone other than your organization's risk manager or supervisors. For example, you could ask vendors who you purchase equipment from to lead onsite training where they demonstrate the safe way to use their product. And remember, your regionally based TASB risk solutions consultant is here to deliver general training or targeted training for specific work groups. 

5. Leverage Safety Training Online

The Fund collaborates with PublicSchoolWORKS to offer members access to a powerful learning management system and a suite of online courses covering topics that matter to Texas public schools, including compliance. Members can leverage the LMS to reduce administrative burdens with automated training assignments, reminders, reporting, and documentation.

Editor's note: This article was initially published in July 2020. We updated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.