Now is the time for the energy sector to lean on an LMS

The energy sector is one of the most important industries in times of crisis. It supplies fuel to the transportation industry, electricity to households and businesses, and other sources of energy critical to growth and production across the country. However, continuing operations are likely to become increasingly difficult due to staff shortages as workers are infected with the coronavirus and in many cases the practical difficulties of social distancing.

The industry faces a unique challenge that many others do not face. While some functions may be remote or outsourced, others simply are not. A large part of the workforce is essential for the continuation of the business and for the safe and reliable supply of electricity, gas and water.

Take nuclear power plants, for example. Authorized control room operators and designated supervision; radiation protection technicians; members of the fire brigade; maintenance personnel and armed rescuers are all critical roles that cannot be performed remotely. If one of these functions becomes unattended during a shift, a facility is at significant risk of multiple violations by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a mandatory shutdown by the federal government.

These skilled workers typically have a limited number of people with the appropriate qualifications and cannot easily be transferred or trained in a short period of time.

“You can't control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react. And your greatest strength lies in your reaction. '

The quote above is a great way to reposition your thoughts in these unpredictable times. So what do we know?

 

While an LMS can't solve all problems, it can certainly help you quickly see who is on-site who is qualified or nearly qualified to fill a position, enter new hires, and maintain a high level of compliance, as you juggle the remote workforce.

The quickest and easiest way to fill a gap in critical positions is to withdraw from the current workforce. This is not always easy because the energy industry is complex and spread across different countries, regions, factories, and offices.

Using real-time reports and dashboards, a company can quickly find out which employee is certified and/or qualified to fill a position or seamlessly transition to another position. The LMS gives you the flexibility and flexibility to compare business needs with employee experience and immediately address the issue with new content, mentoring on-the-job training and the like.

Another thing to think about is doing proficiency checks in the field. This is very important and will help speed up the process. The ability to do on-the-job training, instructor-led training, and elearning and to log everything into the LMS is very useful.

Once all options are exhausted, the next resort is to hire new employees. But the onboarding process can be slow, especially with specialized positions. A good LMS can accelerate the process through automation, personalized learning, easy accessibility, and powerful content.

And due to the distributed nature of the facilities, the LMS must also have flexible permissions that allow different business units to conduct timely integration and training for their specific needs without disrupting the main LMS.

Of course, in crisis situations, it is necessary to be agile. An LMS must include elements such as mobile learning and micro-learning for onboarding to happen on demand wherever employees are.

There are many industries that have classified a large portion of their workforce as "essential" and are therefore not suitable for remote work. The energy industry is a perfect example. However, when key workers are unable to work, it is difficult to find qualified replacements in a timely manner. However, by using a comprehensive LMS, this problem is alleviated by quickly identifying within the pipeline who can intervene at short notice and accelerating the onboarding process. So, before you panic, don't forget to choose an important ally that can mitigate the impact of a small workforce ... the learning management system.

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