On-the-Job Training
Populations Served: Adult and Dislocated Workers, Employers
On-the-Job Training, also known as OJT, involves teaching skills in a real work environment. Utilizing an employer’s equipment and processes, the employee learns to perform his or her job on location.
How do we do it?
At EDSI, we use the Skilldex system, an automated skills analysis tool, to determine OJT placements. EDSI staff conducts Job Task Analyses to determine a job's tasks and responsibilities, along with the importance, difficulty and frequency of each. Participants complete a Skills Inventory that matches them to available jobs, identifies their own skills and compares them to careers of interest. Skilldex gives the employer detailed, job-specific skill information and an efficient means of tracking skill growth and training effectiveness.
OJT services allow employers to upgrade the skills of their workforce at an affordable cost. They also allow jobseekers to upgrade their skills and qualify for higher-wage jobs. Typically, the employer pays 50% of a trainee’s wages for a designated period of time, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) federal funds cover the remainder. The employer commits to hiring the trainee if he or she successfully completes the training.
During OJT, the employee may perform actual work or use training work stations or equipment. The goal of OJT is to teach basic workplace skills, but it also helps the new employee understand workplace culture and expectations.
Employer Benefits
- Employers are reimbursed for 50% of the employee’s wages for a pre-determined time period to offset the cost of training and recoup some of the costs associated with hiring
- EDSI assists the employer in designing a training plan specific to the company’s requirements
- Employees are trained on the actual equipment they will use after the training period, instead of equipment used by training vendors or community colleges
- Very little of the employer’s time is required for the administration of the OJT; EDSI provides the invoices, reviews the employer evaluations completed on a monthly basis and acts as the liaison between the employer and the funding agency
- Employers make the final selection in the hiring process
- Skill gap analysis allows the employer to identify the specific training required based on real data
- The employer is able to review the new employee’s skill progress on a monthly basis
Funding Agency Benefits
- Provides excellent Return on Investment (ROI): Individuals participating in OJT receive a full-time position, as opposed to an Individual Training Account (ITA), which does not guarantee job after training is completed
- Requires less funding than ITAs for similar training and has higher retention because the employee better understands the culture and requirements
- Provides real-time data on employee progress and allows for quick intervention to alleviate challenges
- Assists the funding agency in meeting performance goals
- Allows Dislocated Workers to return to work quickly, reducing the length of unemployment claims
- Increases employment opportunities in high-priority industries
- Enhances regional skill levels
- Helps build long-term relationships with area employers
Employee (Client) Benefits
- Direct training from experienced employees on how to perform a new job
- The ability to earn while they learn
- Monthly feedback on performance
- The expectation of a full-time position after the training period and, in some cases, an increase in salary
- Case management support services
- A career path based on the employee’s upgraded skills
- Job opportunities that would not have been available without offset training costs
Testimonials
See what our customers are saying about working with EDSI to execute on-the-job training.
On-the-Job Training
Segment from Capitol Connections featuring Senator Judy Schwank and EDSI's Kristina Harrell, discussing the OJT Program in the PA CareerLink Berks County.