2020 introduced a new set of risks to employers with COVID-19—and required them to train their teams on pandemic health and safety protocols. While some dealt with this amid the uncertainties of a shutdown, many manufacturers and food processors around the province developed and trained on these protocols while continuing to operate their essential businesses.

This fall, with infection rates rising again, employers are using refresher training to address ongoing changes and keep their teams vigilant.

At Make It Safe in October, we invited BC Ferries Director of Operations David Fagan to share his experience engaging employees to battle crisis fatigue during the pandemic. Two of the strategies he shared are essential considerations for employee training as well.

“Engage the local experts…the people who live and breathe whatever your problems are on a daily basis,” he recommended—people who understand the real issues and “what are workable, feasible, implementable solutions.”

Giving workers a voice both in the development and delivery of new employee training — recognizing and valuing them as subject matter experts—can make all the difference in employees’ Preview (opens in a new tab)interest and buy-in.

“When you give people the power to present their problems and solutions and let them come up with a conclusion,” David added, “They own it, they love it, they breathe it, they are energized by it.”

Another strategy he shared was not to “lose sight of how we can continue to take advantage of the continuous improvement process.”

“How is that working? What’s changed? What new information do we have? Where are we struggling?”

David asked. “We have learnings that are good and learnings that are bad,” he notes. “We can use both to improve our processes or to prevent a problem somewhere else.”

That is a key insight for enhancing a training program and engaging workers in productive discussion during a training session.