Trained, Untrained or Apathetic?

Before you can do a job, you need to be trained how to do it. And once you learn, training continues throughout the course of your employment. That is true for most every job including custodians.

Over the years, we have held many trainings on varying subjects in the custodial department. They have included subjects such as colleague interaction, fire extinguisher use, earthquake preparedness, cleaning techniques and tricks, basic first aid, CPR, cribbing, light search and rescue, basic electrical and plumbing repairs and much more. Many have found these trainings beneficial not only at work but also at home.

Unfortunately, not everyone seems to be inclined to take advantage of these free trainings. I know that on occasion something may come up preventing attendance, but overall, it seems that an opportunity to learn and add to one's knowledge base so that they can become a better more efficient employee would be important.

To some that's not the case. For whatever reason, there are always a few that seem to feel that this or that particular training in unnecessary and not applicable to them. I ask, even if the training covers things that we've discussed before, aren't reminders always beneficial? I don't know of anyone who remembers everything they've ever learned perfectly.

I would hope that anytime a training is offered everyone attends barring any emergency preventing them from doing so. By increasing their knowledge they make themselves more employable, more informed and more capable of understanding and dealing with issues and problems that arise in their job. That in turn says something about their attitude and desire to do their best at work.