Skillnet Senior Trainer, Michael Husband, explains how, with some quick thinking and the adoption of communication technology, Skillnet apprentices have continued to participate in their learning throughout lockdown.
I started out in the automotive industry in 1992 completing my apprenticeship at a local Renault dealership. I moved into training in 1996, studying at night school to complete my teacher training qualification, since then I have been lucky enough to carry out a wide variety of roles within the automotive training environment both in the UK and around the globe.
I have now returned to the UK where I’ve been doing a job I love, apprentice training for Skillnet. However, in 2020, everything changed!
Pandemic apprenticeships
Who would have thought that in March 2020 we would be experiencing a nationwide lockdown after COVID-19 struck! Suddenly, there was no face-to-face contact with our learners which was something no one in our era had ever experienced or been prepared for.
So many questions and emotions came to the surface. What are we going to do? How can we continue to operate during these very difficult times? Will our apprentices be OK? These thoughts only touch the surface of what we were all feeling during this time.
OK, so once we realised it was something we’d have to live with, one main issue arose: how can we still progress our apprentices, ensure their wellbeing and keep their brains active during these times?
Lockdown Inspires new training methods
Our number one priority was, and always will be, our learners. The obvious answer of course was to deliver online sessions using Microsoft Teams. Despite the unfamiliarity, surprisingly this turned out to be a very positive addition to our delivery model.
Brilliant things began to happen. As we changed our delivery materials, we trainers started to think differently. New ideas and technology we never knew existed started to be included in our plans.
Over an adjustment and introduction period of a few months, a daunting March 2020 became an exciting June 2020. Delivery online became the normal route, an addition to our methodology. And, Wow!, what a response.
The apprentices, employers, trainers, and skills coaches were all happy to see learning and development happening again.
The past year has been a roller coaster of a journey, a steep learning curve for all of us, but the benefits we are now experiencing are unbelievable. Engagement with our online sessions is excellent and we continue to learn and improve our delivery every day.
Apprentice feedback is great, and seeing our learners engaged, smiling, laughing and progressing again is priceless.