Skills Management and Learning
By Redaktion techport.ai, HR-Beratung · Last updated on
The training budget is spent every year. The seminars are well-rated, and participants are satisfied. Nevertheless, when new software is introduced, there are no people who can operate it, and for the succession of the production manager, there is no one ready. Training has taken place, but development has not.
Skills management connects three questions: What skills does the company need, what skills are available, and how is the gap closed? Learning is an answer to this, not a catalogue from which to choose.
How you will recognise it
- Training planning starts with the provider's catalogue, not with the company's needs.
- No one can say how many employees possess a specific skill, such as a programming language or plant qualification.
- Training courses are booked, but no one knows if they have changed anything.
- There is a competency model from a previous project. It has 80 competencies and is not used.
Why this happens
Competency models fail due to size and maintenance. No one can work with 80 competencies in five levels of proficiency. Skills are not recorded anywhere because recording them requires effort and offers no immediate benefit. And learning is measured in participant days, because that is the only figure the booking system provides.
Our approach
- Refine competencies. We define with the specialist departments the skills that are truly critical for success. Usually ten to fifteen per job family, in three levels of proficiency. Small enough to maintain, large enough to plan.
- Record existing skills. Employees and managers assess proficiency levels within the HR system, not on paper. Qualifications with proof, such as certificates and instructions, come from the learning system.
- Derive gaps. From workforce planning and existing skills, where needs exist becomes apparent. This forms the basis of training planning, prioritised by business relevance.
- Organise and measure learning. For each gap, we select the format: training, mentoring, project, rotation. After three to six months, the competence is reassessed. This is the measurement that counts, not the seminar evaluation.
What you gain from it
- The training budget is invested in skills the business needs.
- You know who can do what before you procure it externally.
- Succession planning and workforce planning have a data basis instead of mere estimates.
From our projects
Almost every company we work with has a competency model from a previous project, and almost none use it. The reason is always scale: too many competencies, too many levels, too much maintenance. Models with ten to fifteen competencies per job family are maintained because they are needed in discussions and appointments. Measuring the impact through competency assessment after a few months is less accurate than a test, but it is done, and that makes the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How do we keep competency data up-to-date?
By using it in processes: in development reviews, in project staffing, in workforce planning. Data that no one uses becomes outdated. Data on which decisions are based is maintained.
Do we need a Learning Management System?
Yes, for compliance requirements and larger training volumes. For competency acquisition and development planning, the HR system is usually sufficient. We check what is available before recommending something new.
Let's talk about Skills Management and Learning
In a thirty-minute first call we clarify where your biggest lever is and whether we are the right partner for it.
Further reading
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