A corporate blog on training topics offers a great opportunity for companies to present themselves as attractive employers to potential applicants for training positions. Scarcely any other online medium is so well-suited to presenting lively and authentic glimpses into the inner workings of a company. Blog posts can describe the day-to-day life of a trainee in unique depth and clarity. Texts, pictures, movies, links to other sites or social networks, small surveys and blogs offer a huge range of possibilities. In addition, they offer the opportunity for contact and mutual exchange.
Here’s how it works:
- Set up the blog, ideally as part of your company website.
- Define responsibilities. Since a blog requires some resources, the responsibility should be shared among several people. Let your trainees play a key role in maintaining the blog. After all when it comes to day-to-day life in a training environment, they will have the best ideas for blog posts. Many of them will be familiar with the blog medium and maintain it with a minimum of effort and a maximum of enjoyment.
- Specify a procedure. A blog should be kept up on a regular basis – daily, at best. Usually, the effort is minimal and limited to reading and replying to comments and questions. There should be at least one post a week.
- Specify the range of topics and concrete content of the blog. A training blog is good if it is written by trainees for potential trainees and concerns itself with training issues. Make a conscious effort to use the blog as a way to give your trainees a platform for reporting and communicating. Emphasize authenticity in the posts.
What kind of topics should a training blog include?
The life blood of a blog is a regular supply of interesting content. Topics should be diverse and the posts should be both informative and entertaining in equal measure. A training blog should contain a mix of professional and personal content. It should offer a space for trainees to report in detail on their work and their day-to-day life in training.
Explain at the beginning to your readers what you expect to accomplish with your blog and exactly what you want to convey Briefly introduce yourself. Then get started with your articles. Here are some examples of topics for posts:
- Make reference to current vacancies for training positions
- Describe the first training day
- Describe the Welcome Day for new trainees
- Explain exactly how entering a profession works
- Describe the various stations trainees pass through
- Provide glimpses into the tasks and work areas of trainees in a particular cohort
- Reports on current tasks or projects of trainees
- Profiles of trainees just before or immediately following their final tests
- Reports about participation in additional training and what was learned
- Reports on participation in a training fair or an open door day
- Stories that communicate something about the corporate culture and human interaction – for example, a description of the company’s Christmas party, they company outing or a corporate sporting event
- A story about trainee sponsors who describe their activities and experiences
- Reports about training ambassadors who introduce the company in school classrooms
- Tips for applications and interviews
- Guest post by student interns, who describe the day-to-day life of an intern
- Everyone involved in the blog should agree on rules for blogging. Define certain standards: Which topics should be presented, and to what extent, in what format and in what style? W, for instance.topics You should also clarify issues, such as confidentiality obligations regarding company-related information and take into account copyright and rights of use for text and images.
- Train the future bloggers on the blog software.
Project “StartApp – Starting with Apprenticeship” supports small and medium sized businesses (SME) in intensifying their commitment to in-company training. To that end, this project provides solutions for the recruitment of young people interested in on the job training. Here the focus is on methods of acquisition, selection and integration of trainees during the first phase of their staff membership in the company.
The handbook “Finding and retaining trainees” is a guide for companies that want to make their trainee recruitment capable of addressing the current challenges in the training market. It guides the reader step by step through the individual phases of recruitment. Numerous tips and instructions ensure successful implemen tation of the recruitment measures in a practical business environment. It reveals new ways to inspire young people for a career and win them over as trainees.
