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GCSE · Human resources

BUS.HR4 Training and development

AQA 8132 · Calculator allowed · about 65 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided. Show your working for any calculation: method marks are available even if your final answer is wrong. Thornfield Engineering, used throughout this pack, is a fictional business.

Which one of the following best describes 'on-the-job training'?

A) Training delivered at the employee's normal workplace, often by an experienced colleague, while continuing to do the job
B) Training delivered away from the workplace, e.g. at a college or training centre
C) A performance review meeting between an employee and their manager
D) The interview stage of recruitment

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Which one of the following best describes 'off-the-job training'?

A) Training that happens at the employee's own desk or workstation
B) Training delivered away from the normal place of work, e.g. an external course or college
C) Training given only to new starters on their first day
D) Unpaid training completed in the employee's own time

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

State two other types of training, other than on-the-job and off-the-job training, that Thornfield Engineering could use.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Explain one advantage to Thornfield Engineering of using on-the-job training for staff learning to operate new machinery.

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Explain one advantage to Thornfield Engineering of using off-the-job training for staff learning to operate new machinery.

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Thornfield Engineering plans to train 5 machine operators to use a new piece of equipment. Under on-the-job training, an experienced mentor is taken off their normal work for 2 days per trainee to teach them directly. The mentor's normal daily output is worth 220 pounds to Thornfield.

(a)Calculate the on-the-job training cost (lost mentor output) for one trainee.(2)

(b)Using your answer to part a, calculate the total on-the-job training cost for all 5 trainees.(1)

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

The off-the-job alternative is a 2-day external course costing 650 pounds per trainee plus 50 pounds in travel costs. Each trainee's own normal daily output is worth 40 pounds to Thornfield, which is lost for the 2 days they are on the course.

(a)Calculate the course fee plus travel cost for one trainee.(1)

(b)Calculate the value of the trainee's own lost output over the 2 days.(1)

(c)Using your answers to parts a and b, calculate the total off-the-job training cost for one trainee.(1)

(d)Using your answer to part c, calculate the total off-the-job training cost for all 5 trainees.(1)

(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)

After training, each operator's output rises from 200 units a day to 250 units a day. Calculate the percentage increase in output per worker. Show your working.

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

Each extra unit produced is worth 0.20 pounds to Thornfield Engineering. Using your answer to question 8, calculate the extra value generated by one trained worker per day. Show your working.

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

Using your answer to question 9, and given that all 5 trainees are trained, calculate how many working days it would take for the training's benefit to repay its cost.

(a)Calculate the combined extra value generated per day by all 5 trained workers.(1)

(b)Using your answer to part a and question 6b, calculate the payback period in working days for the on-the-job training.(2)

(c)Using your answer to part a and question 7d, calculate the payback period in working days for the off-the-job training.(2)

(Total for Question 10 is 5 marks)

Using your answer to question 10a, calculate the total estimated extra value generated by the 5 trained workers over a 240-working-day year. Show your working.

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

Explain one reason Thornfield Engineering might still choose off-the-job training despite its longer payback period (question 10c) compared with on-the-job training (question 10b).

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

State two costs to Thornfield Engineering of NOT training staff to use the new machinery properly.

(Total for Question 13 is 2 marks)

Explain one way training and development, as described in this pack, could also benefit staff motivation and Thornfield Engineering's ability to retain staff.

(Total for Question 14 is 3 marks)

On-the-job training costs 2,200 pounds for all 5 trainees and pays for itself in 44 working days (question 10b), while off-the-job training costs 3,900 pounds and pays for itself in 78 working days (question 10c). Both go on to generate an estimated 12,000 pounds of extra value a year (question 11), but question 12 shows off-the-job training may give a higher, safer standard of training on unfamiliar new machinery.
Recommend whether Thornfield Engineering should use on-the-job or off-the-job training for its 5 machine operators. Justify your answer using the figures and points made earlier in this pack.

(Total for Question 15 is 9 marks)

Mark scheme · BUS.HR4 Training and development

Question 1

B1 A cao
Answer: A

Question 2

B1 B cao
Answer: B

Question 3

B1 one acceptable type, e.g. induction training for new starters
B1 a second acceptable type, e.g. e-learning/online training, shadowing a more experienced colleague, or ongoing continuous professional development
Answer: Any two, e.g. induction training; e-learning; shadowing; continuous professional development.

Question 4

B1 identifies the advantage, e.g. staff train on the actual machinery they will use, in their normal working environment
B1 develops the point, e.g. this avoids the cost of an external course fee and means staff can keep contributing to production while learning
B1 links clearly to an outcome, e.g. making it a lower-cost way of building the skills Thornfield needs
Answer: Staff train on the actual machinery in their normal environment, avoiding an external course fee and letting them keep contributing to production while learning, making it a lower-cost way to build the skills Thornfield needs.

Question 5

B1 identifies the advantage, e.g. staff learn from a specialist trainer/college using structured, expert teaching
B1 develops the point, e.g. staff are away from the pressure and distractions of the factory floor, and cannot damage real machinery or output while still learning
B1 links clearly to an outcome, e.g. this can produce a higher, more consistent standard of training than an experienced colleague teaching informally
Answer: Staff learn from a specialist trainer using structured teaching, away from factory-floor pressure and without risking real machinery or output, which can produce a higher, more consistent standard of training than informal on-the-job teaching.

Question 6

(a) M1 220 x 2 seen
(a) A1 440 pounds cao
(a) Answer: 440 pounds.
(b) B1 2,200 pounds cao (ft from part a)
(b) Answer: 2,200 pounds.

Question 7

(a) B1 700 pounds cao
(a) Answer: 700 pounds.
(b) B1 80 pounds cao
(b) Answer: 80 pounds.
(c) B1 780 pounds cao (ft from parts a and b)
(c) Answer: 780 pounds.
(d) B1 3,900 pounds cao (ft from part c)
(d) Answer: 3,900 pounds.

Question 8

M1 ((250 - 200) / 200) x 100 seen
A1 25% cao
Answer: 25%.

Question 9

M1 50 x 0.20 seen (using the 50-unit increase from question 8)
A1 10 pounds cao
Answer: 10 pounds.

Question 10

(a) B1 50 pounds cao (ft from question 9)
(a) Answer: 50 pounds.
(b) M1 2,200 / 50 seen (ft from part a and question 6b)
(b) A1 44 working days cao
(b) Answer: 44 working days.
(c) M1 3,900 / 50 seen (ft from part a and question 7d)
(c) A1 78 working days cao
(c) Answer: 78 working days.

Question 11

M1 50 x 240 seen (ft from question 10a)
A1 12,000 pounds cao
Answer: 12,000 pounds.

Question 12

B1 identifies the point, e.g. new machinery may need specialist knowledge that Thornfield's own staff do not have, so an experienced mentor cannot teach it properly on-the-job
B1 develops the point, e.g. a mistake made while learning directly on expensive new machinery could be costly or unsafe
B1 links clearly to an outcome, e.g. the higher cost and longer payback of off-the-job training (question 10c) may be worth it to ensure staff are trained safely and correctly by a specialist
Answer: New machinery may need specialist knowledge Thornfield's own staff lack, so learning directly on expensive equipment risks costly or unsafe mistakes; the longer payback of off-the-job training (question 10c) may be worth it to ensure staff are trained safely by a specialist.

Question 13

B1 one acceptable cost, e.g. a higher risk of accidents/injuries and any resulting compensation or downtime
B1 a second acceptable cost, e.g. more faulty output/lower quality, or damage to the machinery itself from incorrect use
Answer: Any two, e.g. higher risk of accidents; more faulty output/lower quality; damage to the machinery from incorrect use.

Question 14

B1 identifies the point, e.g. training gives staff new skills and qualifications, which can make them feel more valued and capable
B1 develops the point, e.g. it can also open up opportunities for promotion or higher pay within Thornfield
B1 links clearly to an outcome, e.g. this can increase job satisfaction and make staff less likely to leave for a competitor
Answer: Training gives staff new skills and qualifications, making them feel more valued and opening up promotion or pay opportunities within Thornfield, which increases job satisfaction and makes staff less likely to leave.

Question 15

Level 1 (1-3): Makes simple, undeveloped comments about the training decision, with little or no use of the pack's figures and no clear recommendation.
Level 2 (4-6): Gives a developed argument for on-the-job or off-the-job training, using some of the pack's figures, but does not fully weigh both sides or reach a clearly justified recommendation.
Level 3 (7-9): Weighs the evidence for both training methods, using the cost, payback and annual-benefit figures from this pack, and reaches a justified recommendation supported by that analysis.
Indicative content:
- For on-the-job training: it costs 1,700 pounds less overall (2,200 pounds versus 3,900 pounds, question 6b and 7d) and pays back in 44 working days rather than 78 (question 10), a much faster route to the 12,000 pound annual benefit calculated in question 11.
- For on-the-job training: it also avoids taking staff away from the factory to an external location, keeping some production running during training.
- For off-the-job training: question 12 argues that new, unfamiliar machinery may need specialist expert teaching to avoid costly or unsafe mistakes, something an internal mentor may not be able to provide as reliably.
- Against off-the-job training: its higher cost and much longer payback period (78 working days versus 44) mean Thornfield waits considerably longer before the training starts adding net value.
- Judgement: given new machinery genuinely carries safety and quality risks if taught informally, a reasonable recommendation is that Thornfield Engineering should use off-the-job training for the initial, safety-critical stage of learning the new machinery, then support staff with cheaper on-the-job practice and refresher training afterwards, balancing the payback-period gap in question 10 against the safety case in question 12.

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