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Best practices
Plain-language training for employers and staff responsible for job orientation in the workplace
#training #communication #workplace
The good practice in a nutshell
The plain-language training for employers consists of lectures and workshops. This training is targeted especially at mentors responsible for job orientation at their place of work. The lectures concentrate on the theoretical basics of plain language in communication. The workshops provide tools for the mentors to utilise to develop their communication at work.
Developer or user
The Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki
Target group
Mentors responsible for orienting new employees to their job in the workplace
Why it is needed
More and more newly arrived immigrants enter the labour force. It can be challenging to familiarise immigrants with the workplace if their language skills are still at elementary level. Mentors are expected to introduce the policies and practices of the workplace to new employees in a clear and understandable way, both in face-to-face communication situations and in written form. Cultural differences and language-related obstacles can be tackled by means of training for the mentors in the use of plain language and cultural viewpoints.
Resources
The good practice requires:
- a professional trainer
- employers interested in the training
- an opportunity to include the training in the mentors’/employees’ work schedule
Expected outcomes
- The training should produce more knowledgeable, motivated, and confident mentors who know how to induct employees with a migrant background to the workplace.
- The mentors get concrete tools for orienting new employees.
‘Do’s and ‘don’t’s
- Discussions and workshops need to be emphasised more than lectures.
- Authentic materials (from the workplace itself) are motivating and the most effective.
- Authentic cases and experiences are more relevant than theory or arbitrary examples.
Applicability
This training can be organised in any country, for a wide range of employers, where there is a need to help immigrants with elementary language skills familiarise themselves with the workplace.
Quotes from users
‘The training was very good and gave a lot of information. It could have been longer.’
‘The exercises tailored specifically for us were good.’
Additional information
- How does it work? (pdf)