Gap in Training Front Line Workers

Determing the correct amoount of training is difficult. A recent survey, the 2024 Lighthouse Research & Advisory Frontline Development Trends Study, which gathered responses from 737 different employers and 1,050 workers across frontline industries, found a gap in training.

“In a world where nearly six in 10 frontline workers say that they have experienced additional stress due to low staffing levels over the last year, it’s time to turn our attention to this critical segment of the workforce in a practical, proactive manner to help them be more productive and engaged in their work,” the report says.

In addition to low staffing levels, just 24% of those surveyed strongly agree that they have the right types and amount of training they need to succeed at work. Respondents cited time/scheduling constraints, limited practice opportunities, and/or lack of resource access as the top three reasons they have trouble developing their skills at work.

And the top learning constraint for frontline workers new to their jobs is limited opportunities to practice/apply new skills. For workers with less than six months on the job, 50% say they need to learn new things either on a daily basis or on a weekly basis.

With regard specifically to safety training, while nearly 90% of those working in manufacturing said that safety training is critical, workers in this industry are the least likely of all frontline industries to say that they get the proper training to do their jobs well.

In construction, there’s an expected focus on safety training due to the nature of the work. Construction employers ranked onboarding training as more important than any other frontline industry. 

Overall, the survey found that 40% of employees say that they aren’t fully sure what it is expected of them to perform on the job.  This uncertainly leads to lower rates of retention. Workers who feel they have the training necessary to perform on the job are 3x more likely to stay with their employer.  In fact, 50% of frontline workers with plans to quit their jobs say they don’t get the proper training to do their work.

As for their preferred method of training, 91% of frontline workers said they want access to training  and resources on a mobile device. And when they rate their learning technology two out of three respondents say it’s “just okay.” But workers who like their technology are three times as likely to feel their company is invested in them and they are 50% more likely to stay in their job.