Training for Operations

In Army we had categories of skilled technician and conducted various exams and training cadres to come up to various levels of standards. The incentive was of course to become next level of rank leader and also increment in salaries.

Army Training

Class room training with on site provides basic Sigs skills in radio, line and computing and is a prerequisite for all RA Sigs trade courses .There was a fixed Telecommunications Systems Technician Course consists of number of weeks of training and incorporates all aspects of the telecommunications cabling and equipment used in Sigs Units. Subjects include telecommunications cabling, satellite stations, circuit switch networks, telephone systems and local and wide area computer networks.

On the successful completion of the course they would receive next level of Pay Group with next certification.



Corporate training in Operation ( Automotive and Telecoms)


There are large number of untrained technician who join the industry and are not able to perform in the operations. It leads to customer escalations. Sadly it has been noticed that corporate focuses more on getting next level of business but the prerequisite the trained manpower is not matching the new orders.

There is also no proper system training organized. There are no pamphlets, presentations audio and video documentaries specific classes for specific equipments, no organized training of any sorts.

There is also no competency mapping as to who is a skilled technician at what level and what is his next future category for growth with skills improvements.


Problem as why training never takes off ;


Coordination of all training stakeholders as each department ie Operation , HR and System generally plays tennis pushing the onus of training to each other. Training will suffer and never takes off. Those companies that suffer maximum competencies issues is because the Operation or the HR department or system departments are not interested in taking the call because it requires a follow up and doing work own self ( Not mere auditing/questioning)

The System and HR will not face the music from customer on less competencies and will be least interested in doing any extra work unless pushed but Operation in Production and Telecoms services will suffer. It is best some senior stake holders in Operation production and telecoms services only take the responsibility of coordination between operation team /system and HR and start training. No grudge of taking extra responsibility which can be covered in compensation to the operation team that conducts training also.

Regular attrition of the workforce on HR policies , less pays, no timely appraisal etc are leading to a shrinking of the pool of technician available for quality work
and real technician are also not coming for recruitment

There is also loss of skilled staff to other work areas for a variety of reasons eg shift to less skilled work thus not able to put the right man in right place at right time.

There are also difficulties in retaining skilled staff in remote regional areas of the company working zone when contracts, salaries and conditions are usually better in the main city centers and other MNC

Often there are image problems with young engineers and potential new entrants not
being attracted to the hard work of shop floor activities and telecommunications technical work on towers . They feel they are only meant for supervisory work after an engineering career streams and straightway want to become coordinators in project of such equipment when they are not able to monitor the quality work of their own teams. In Army as young officer we were on shop floor under guidance of Senior technician in formative years.

There appears to be little detailed information relating to actual numbers of
Telecommunications trades persons, technicians and engineers and there is statistical data is available. HR and operation team have to look at separate Technical and non technical personnel for competence mapping and appraisal issues.

That would help in the clear understanding of the size of the population that would potentially require (re)training.

There is a trend, in the telecommunications industry, to out-source much of the on-site work. A very large portion of this out-sourced work is given to labour hire companies who in turn, pass it on to self employed trades-people and technicians. Thus a void will be created within a company operation team that can only be filled through apprenticeship technical training. The training team needs to prepare for this expected surge in training demand. The training industry needs to tap the knowledge of these people before they move so that their skills and knowledge is not lost.

Requirements to be solved by operation, system and HR departments


Proper structure program and syllabus can be defend at each level based on work requirements. --skilling to try and achieve reasonably kill Sets for enterprises involved in the broadband roll out, network repair and modernisation.

The candidates can be tested with practical assignments ,knowledge requirements, practical competencies,

Books and training material with slide presentations and case history

Guidance on how to test skills and grade competencies marking

I will suggest that each company should have three levels of qualification what we have in Army ie Grade 1, 2, 3

The Grade 111 level will be junior most equivalent to a Certificate level: It will be a broad introduction is provided to the theory and practical aspects of telecommunication /automotive systems for a front-line worker or a person beginning an academic training programme.

The Grade 11 level will be second stage equivalent to Diploma level: suitable for someone who has already learned the basic skills and who now wants to learn a broader range of skills. It is appropriate for someone who may have to supervise or who is preparing for higher education

The Grade I level will be the best equivalent to The Advanced Diploma level appropriate for a person working in first-level management or for someone who wants specialized Knowledge requirements and training at a high level.


With a proper skilled training structure there will be a round the pool of skilled technician for any increase in business.