What do the government say? The government have clarified that training can indeed be undertaken while employees are on furlough stating “Furloughed employees can engage in training during hours which you record your employee as being on furlough, as long as in undertaking the training the employee does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, or on behalf of their organisation or a linked or associated organisation. Furloughed employees should be encouraged to undertake training.”
What kind of training is being undertaken? It has been a challenge for employers to maintain mandatory training without the ability to fully 'mass gather', especially if you are in fields such as health & social care or education. However, like with many industries, where there is a will there is a way, and Action Point Training and other training companies be still maintain your training requirements with some small adjustments. Virtual training, led by an instructor is a great way of maintaining the interaction with an instructor that you do not get with classic e-learning. The instructor will lead the session and take the group through a range of presentations and videos to give a fun and interactive understanding of the subject matter. For topics such as first aid training, where not all the elements of the course can be completed online, we can follow government and governing body advice to achieve fundamental first aid skills. With the use of masks, gloves and a rigorous hygiene regime, practical training can be completed and assessed.
As employers look to use the 'downtime' productively, training is a superb way of up-skilling your workforce so that you are ready and raring to go for when the country emerges out of lockdown.
Whether it be by online training or classroom based, with safety at the forefront, as previously mentioned, where there is a will there is a way. We are here to help.
The Team at Action Point Training
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