Written By: Marcus Lansky
Trade schools are designed to help people learn how to tackle skill-based jobs that are necessary to keep society running well. Since most of us learn best through experience, it is absolutely necessary for trade schools to develop relationships with businesses in order to facilitate this type of on-the-job training. However, many businesses aren’t entirely sure whether or not working with a trade school will be right for them.
Detroit Training Center has created this guide to help you understand the pros of a trade school relationship. Moreover, we’ve broken down some of the best tips for getting all you can out of your arrangement. With the right approach, you can help train the next generation of workers, make an impact on your community, and find talented candidates who could work with your business for years. Here’s how to get started:
Establish Stability First
Before you can develop a relationship with a trade school, you need to establish stability in your business. If you’re just starting off, you may not be a good fit for taking on the mentorship-trainer role necessary for helping train workers. Dedicate time to giving yourself a foundation first.
There are several steps you can take to make this happen, such as establishing your business structure. For example, you can look into forming a limited liability company, or LLC, for your small business. This designation can provide valuable legal protections, not to mention it offers tax advantages in some situations. Many business owners put this off because it’s a little bit tedious, but don’t let that hold you back. If you don’t feel like wading through the red tape yourself, you can always hire a formation service to knock it out on your behalf.
Build Learning-Based Roles
When hiring trade students to train in your company, it’s important that you have learning-based roles built into your employment structure. Trainees won’t be able to tackle large or complicated tasks, and they’ll need supervision while they’re learning. You’ll need to be prepared to staff your team with both trainees and experienced workers who are ready to take on a mentorship role.
Focus on working with your team to identify the workers who are most equipped to pass on knowledge. It’s not an easy thing to do, but some people are naturals. Focus on who on your team is most effective at conveying information, taking the lead, and keeping tasks in order until completed. These are the people most likely to shine in the mentorship position.
Connect with Students
Finally, you should make an effort to get to know the trade school students who come to train in your workplace. This gives you the opportunity to meet the next generation of workers and can even help you to identify students who could be a good fit to join your company after they’ve graduated from the program. This is a fantastic way to find great employees who already have foundational knowledge of how things work at your business.
Connecting with trade school students can also make a big difference when it comes to their ability to succeed. When students know they have someone they can talk to, they’re far more likely to speak up if they’re struggling to achieve or understand something. You could be the person who makes or breaks someone’s ability to earn the certification they’re working toward.
Working with trade schools can benefit your business. It gives you the chance to identify your strongest workers as well as build a pool of potential employees you can count on. Moreover, it’s a great way to give back to the community and make sure your industry stays strong.
Want to learn more? Take a look at some of the fantastic partnerships Detroit Training Center has built over the years.
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