A new, and arguably critically important, entry into the digital training and education marketplace is SiTUATE. The platform is based on the research and practice of Ron Jacobs, a long-time professor at the Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, who introduced structured on-the-job training (S-OJT) in the 1980s. Since that time, his training approach has been used globally by companies, technical-education institutions, and workforce development agencies. SiTUATE is the digital version of structured on-the-job training.
SiTUATE has been highly anticipated in the marketplace, especially by organizations seeking to meet the requirements of various quality management systems. David Boulay, President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), located in Peoria, states, “We know our client companies face many business challenges these days, so getting the most return on their training dollars is critical. That’s why we recommend that companies following ISO standards invest in S-OJT to address their skills-training needs.’”
Newton Moore, Director for Learning Innovation and Performance Improvement at UL University in Chicago has used S-OJT in his organization and states, “How nice that there’s finally a digital learning platform that focuses on skills development rather than on library topics. Managers demand accountability from their training investment and S-OJT, based on years of experience, has proven effective in this regard.”
The traditional means of delivering S-OJT, in which a trainer conducts the training in-person with a trainee, is not always possible in today’s workplace. Using web-based real-time communications, SiTUATE delivers efficient and effective skills-based and on-boarding training, using mobile devices or computers, even when the trainer and trainer are physically in separate locations.
SiTUATE includes a proprietary toolkit to help users analyze the work, including doing a job analysis and task analysis, to produce useable training guides. An integrated management system includes features critical for S-OJT, such as prefilling tasks on employee training plans, supporting end-of-training performance checks, and preparing experienced employees to serve as S-OJT trainers, among other features. Integration is the catchword for SiTUATE, bringing together all phases of the training process, providing information critical for documenting the employee’s ability to perform the work.
SiTUATE has partnered with GradLeaders, a Columbus, Ohio-based software-as-a-service company specializing in talent acquisition tech, to provide a mature platform, resulting in an easy-to-use, intuitive way to deliver structured on-the-job training. SiTUATE is unique because no other digital training platform focuses on developing employees on the specific tasks they will perform on the job, an outcome of high importance for many reasons among managers today.