On the Job Training - Practical and Cheap

Even though employment opportunities have not been able to satisfy the need of new graduates every year, people still continue to go for further education or training in the hope that their future will be brighter. Not only are they willing to spend two to four years acquiring new skills, they are willing pay to do so. Not only that, they also have to forego the income they would earn by going to college instead of working.

Students in midwifery, education and nursing, besides receiving classroom lectures, are also trained on the job. In addition to lectures, the also receive on-the-job-training (OJT). They are paying while some of their friends are working and earning a salary.

All new FDWs receive OJT, but the difference is that they do not have to pay for the training. Some first-time helpers cannot cook food that their employers like but if they are willing learners, they will soon benefit from OJT. If they learn quickly, they will soon be able to cook and take care of children and perform related duties. When they sign up for another term at the end of their contract, they have a better chance of getting raise. And if their employer is not willing to increase their pay, they will probably find it easier to find alternative employment on better terms.

However, I do notice that those who have worked here for a couple of years fail to see the benefit of continual OJT for themselves. My advice to these helpers who seek my help in finding a new employer is to treat their next job as an opportunity for further training on the job. If after two years they are able to cook 30 different dishes, they should try to learn more dishes so that at the end of 4 years, they will know twice as many.

Learning to cook can be costly, for besides paying for the course fee, the students needs to pay for the ingredients used. But if they learn on the job, using the ingredients their employer bought, they do not have to worry about the cost the ingredients. Thus a willing learner should be able to increase her repertoire by trying out a new dish or two every week. In time to come, they will know many more dishes they start out with.

But cooking is not the only skill they can improve on. They can improve their skills as a childminder or as a housekeeper. For some helper learning on the job is even compulsory when the have to take care of an invalid person. After learning how to help an elderly person to exercise her limbs, for example, she will have a better chance of being hired when some elderly or sick person needs a caregiver.

Unlike in the case of a midwifery or education student, OJT for domestic domestic helpers come without charge. And the reward is great. Unlike college graduates who may not find a job they are trained for, the domestic helper with superior skills will always be in demand and the potential for a higher salary is high.