Training is for Animals, Education is for People

The distinction between training and education is paramount in the decorated apparel industry, where creativity and precision are crucial to success. Training often implies a one-dimensional approach akin to teaching a dog new tricks. In contrast, an education program can foster a deeper understanding of a subject and broaden the staff member’s skill set.

It starts with your viewpoint. You don’t simply want the employee to be able to do something — you want to fully comprehend why the new idea they are learning is needed. What makes it the right way? What happens if it isn’t completed correctly? Who is downstream from the task that could be affected by poor quality?

This comprehensive approach can significantly enhance your productivity, innovation, and even job satisfaction with your crew. In this article, we will explore the advantages of employee education, how to set up an effective education program, the importance of follow-up, and how to align educational goals with profit creation.

The employee education advantage

Continuous learning can equip employees with updated skills and knowledge, making them more competent and versatile. This is especially true in the decorated apparel industry, where techniques and technologies constantly evolve.

When you stop and think about it, hundreds of small tasks must be completed correctly for an order to ship on time. Getting your staff to understand the “why” behind these tasks can allow them to adapt more effectively to changes and apply their skills when innovation enters the picture. Education improves their performance and also boosts their confidence and job satisfaction. It is the feeling they are doing it correctly and their efforts matter.

Educated employees are typically more efficient and effective in their roles. Their viewpoint and perspective are critical to understanding the current situation with your processes and work quality. As most shops want to improve constantly, a well-educated staff can lead to faster turnaround times, consistent quality, and a reduction in errors — directly impacting the bottom line.

Employee satisfaction & retention

It is no secret that finding new employees is tough going these days. Investing in employee education shows that the company values the staff, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. It is common sense. Employees who feel supported in their professional development are likelier to stay with the company long-term.

How are you currently investing in your staff education? Here’s a pop quiz for your shop: “What are the total number of dedicated hours to employee training you spent so far this year?”

You know the costs and disruptions associated with employee turnover, as I’m sure you’ve felt the pain when someone leaves.

If you want to mitigate the challenge associated with employee turnover, you will need to invest in keeping your employees motivated with more educational experiences and career development. This is an on-purpose, scheduled activity. And yes, you should easily be able to track the hours invested.

Culture of innovation

Educated employees contribute to a culture of innovation. This happens when you enroll them in classes at a trade show, through industry online education, bring in suppliers or consultants to teach, or simply have staff members mentor less experienced employees.

Your team will be better equipped to think critically, solve problems, and adapt to industry changes. We are almost a completely different industry from where we stood pre-COVID-19. Being versatile and adaptable is crucial in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Staying ahead of trends can make or break your company.

Encouraging a culture of innovation and a continuous learning mindset ensures your team remains agile and creative.

Setting up an effective employee education program

To start building a fantastic education program, you should first conduct a needs assessment. After all, you will want to create the program that best prioritizes what needs to be added with your team.

You have to start somewhere, so let’s begin with what will make a significant impact.

Your needs assessment can be done through surveys, interviews, and even your employee’s performance evaluations. The program needs to be relevant and targeted. What is going to make the most significant difference in your business?

This might include new printing techniques, ways to minimize downtime, how to use the shop software, or methods to enhance internal communication. Find some questions you can use to build a template for your shop below:

Define objectives

Once you have the results of your surveys and interviews, take some time to review the answers. Are there areas of improvement that stand out the most? For your staff, what seems like the best way to learn?

Your next step is to set clear, measurable educational program goals. These should align with the strategic objectives and address your company’s identified needs. Discuss and create clear goals that will help you measure your educational programs’ success when you make the necessary adjustments.

For example, a goal could be to reduce your screen-printing department’s set-up time from an average of eight minutes per screen to an average of five minutes per screen. To achieve this goal, you will first need to understand everything involved in how screens are registered on press, the problematic areas related to speed, and what causes delays. You may need to consult with other shops or experts to understand how other shops have decreased their set-up times and the practical strategies used.

Then, the education curriculum is put together by examining everything holistically. To ensure that the program works, consider how you measure from the current way you accomplish screen setup, to the new method as outlined.

Measuring the before and after is an effective way to demonstrate that education and improvement are working. Be objective. Numbers don’t lie.

Choosing the right format

Once you have the objective written, you’ll need to consider the appropriate format for delivering the education. Your options include online courses, trade show workshops, seminars, destination classes, and in-house training. Each format has advantages; the choice will depend on the content, budget, and employee preferences.

For the decorated apparel industry, a hands-on workshop may effectively teach subjects such as setting up screen-printing registration faster. Send the crew to a class or bring in someone to teach.

Maybe you need help in lead generation? There are plenty of fantastic books, video series, or industry thought leadership groups, like Shirt Lab Tribe, that you can join.

When planning, take the time to determine the budget, time needed, and personnel required for the education programming. You should invest in new training materials or bring experts from outside specialized resources. Make sure the shoe fits.