Training

As highlighted in the Business Model Slideshow, there is a high turnover rate of staff due to the nature of the programme. A training programme is thus being developed and customised to introduce the concept of production planning, cost effectiveness and time management using a fermentation experiment.

The 1 week of training is planned to minimise the disruptions of the high turnover rate of staff while maintaining the efficiency of the human resources in the various essential job scopes; namely the Project Manager, Production Manager and Human Resource Manager. In addition, this training helps to facilitate collaborative teamwork processes so as to support cooperation in a distributed team.

Trainees are asked to perform a planned production (Yeast Fermentation) that will allow them to appreciate the importance of production planning, cost effectiveness and time management. In addition, short term tasks or assignments are given to trainees depending on their job scope to assess and reinforce the training’s learning objectives.

Learning Objectives

• Trainees are required to appreciate the importance of production planning (Human Resources and Equipments), cost effectiveness and time management.
• Identify and recall the intertwined effects of production planning (human Resources and Equipments), cost effectiveness and time management on their short term tasks based on their roles and responsibilities of being one of the following roles: Project Director, Production Manager and Human Resource Manager.

Learning Objectives

Each trainee has different abilities and learning abilities. Thus trainees are differentiated accordingly to information gathered from the application form that is required to be handed in to join the programme.

There are few ways to differentiate. First is by Cumulative Achievement Point (CAP) followed by the trainees’ answers to the questions in the application form. An ideal team is to have a mixture of strong and weak trainees. This way each team’s efficiency is maximised and everyone is able to have equal chances of learning opportunities and improve their knowledge and abilities as a team.

Methods of Learning

The experiment process is carried out in three different groups and each group is rotated for the next three days to cover the different laboratory techniques for the exposure to both the production considerations and laboratory techniques.

Laboratory Techniques (Adequate level of understanding for proficiency):

• Fermentation: Understanding the functions of the Biofermenter and appreciate parameters used for product optimization.
• Extraction: Understand the concept of removing the desired product through centrifuging, biphasic extraction, rotatory evaporator.
• Purification: Introduction to vacuum distillation as a technique for purification.

Production Considerations:

• Production Planning: Understand the need for proper planning to prevent bottlenecks and efficient use of available limited human and equipment resources.
• Cost Effectiveness: Understand the different costs involved for each process and where costs can be cut without comprising on safety and production schedule.
• Time Management: Understand the need for proper time planning of activities to ensure smooth parallel running of reaction and downstream production processes within the time constraint.

Assessment

Assessment is conducted continuously during the training to assess trainees’ abilities as well as short term assignments or tasks to evaluate the training programme effectiveness based on the learning objectives. This will eventually serve to determine if the arrangement of human resources in the groups maximises their abilities to perform for the enterprise. If need too, rearrangement of members or job scopes in groups can then be facilitated.

Types of Assessments

• Group Discussions
• Theoretical Questions & Answers (Q&A)
• Laboratory Techniques Proficiency
• Short Term Tasks or Assignments