TWI Job Instruction and Key Points

Why it matters

A person who does a job well may not be able to teach the same job clearly to someone else. A small adjustment that an experienced employee makes without thinking is the detail that decides whether the product is accepted for a new starter. When the instructor only lists the movements, this detail stays invisible. Job instruction closes this gap by explaining the important steps of the task, the key point of each step and the reason for that point together. The job instruction branch of this approach extends from preparing the learner to independent practice and follow-up. The aim is not to deliver a complete talk, but to set up the conditions that show the learner can do the defined job safely. For this reason, the job itself and the acceptance criteria to be used are prepared before the instruction.

An important step is a meaningful part of the job that moves the work forward. A key point is the detail that decides whether that part is done safely, with quality or in a practicable way. The reason explains what will go wrong if the detail is not followed. The sentence "Place the part properly" lacks both a criterion and a reason. The explanation "Turn the marked face toward the stop; the wrong direction prevents the next connection from seating" sets up an observable behavior. Every step does not need the same number of key points. Some steps may have more than one point; a necessary detail is not deleted just to make the training table look tidy. Also, a key point list does not replace safe working conditions.

The instruction flow is built on preparing the learner, showing the job, having the learner do it and follow-up. In preparation, the learner's prior knowledge and point of view are understood. In the demonstration, the job is presented with its important steps, in parts the learner can absorb; in later demonstrations, key points and reasons are added. In the trial, the learner shows understanding by explaining while doing the job; afterwards, practice without help is tested. In follow-up, support is reduced gradually and it is determined whom to approach when a problem arises. This flow is not assumed to finish in the same minute for every task. If there is a learning difficulty, an unclear instruction or an unsuitable work layout, the instruction is corrected accordingly; simply urging the employee to be faster is not enough.

An attendance signature can document the time set aside for instruction and who took part; it does not show the skill result. Answering questions correctly may show that the person knows the reasons; manual skill and the decision in real work must be observed separately. An average of error scores cannot mask a critical safety or quality error either. For this reason the job breakdown sheet is not merely an aid to explanation: it determines which behavior will be assessed, under which condition and against which criterion. If the task or tool changes, the scope of the earlier skill record is reviewed again. In this lesson we will use numbers to follow the difference between explaining all twelve steps and doing all key points correctly in independent practice.

Formula