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Enhancing Correctional Training with Virtual Learning

Turnover in corrections is at an all-time high and agencies are struggling to keep up with consistent training, resulting in a decline of staff confidence and morale. How can agencies revitalize their onboarding, training, and recruitment to address this challenge?
Jane Steel
Jane Steel
Contributors:
Kenzie Koch | Marketing Team Leader
Alyssa Pfaff | Content Marketing Specialist

The undeniable truth in today’s correctional environment is that staff turnover has reached a historic peak. As a result, officers face the challenge of continuously training new recruits who often leave soon after starting. With their workloads constantly building, the mental well-being of each correctional officer is put at stake, which can be detrimental to the facility’s daily operations.

The dangers of staff turnover are reflected in these alarming statistics: 

  • 85% of correctional staff are not engaged in the workplace.

  • 69% of correctional staff say they would work harder if they felt appreciated. 

  • 94% of correctional staff say they would stay with an organization longer if it invested in their learning and development.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Considering these staggering numbers, there is room for improvement. With the right innovation and support, the corrections industry has the potential to thrive. While it’s encouraging that most employees would choose to stay with an organization that truly invests in them, the question remains: how can this be achieved?

GUARDIAN RFID Has The Solution

GUARDIAN RFID recognizes that many officers face a time and resource shortage to host extensive hands-on training sessions. We heard the call for backup, and we developed a solution: a more efficient onboarding approach and training solution that leverages the power of virtual learning to simplify the process. 

Academy Unlimited (AU): An affordable, subscription-based platform that enables new staff to have flexible training on GUARDIAN RFID systems at their own pace while existing officers can focus on their daily tasks.

This technology was designed to supplement the training of new officers in an already overburdened workplace. Academy Unlimited allows onboarding to become streamlined thanks to its quick and accessible training modules. Available on any device, Academy Unlimited features dozens of video lessons aimed at cultivating expert-level competency on GUARDIAN RFID products and solutions. 

Academy Unlimited currently offers video lessons on GUARDIAN RFID’s existing system, OnDemand, featuring Mobile Command, OnDemand, RFID Cards, and Reports and Data. However, GUARDIAN RFID’s newer native Cloud platform, Command Cloud, will feature video lesson plans soon. 

The virtual learning platform offers opportunities for officers to earn certifications after completing lessons so users can demonstrate their skills and qualifications, track their progress, and advance their development. Key training features of Academy Unlimited include: 

  • Examples of day-to-day operations: Academy Unlimited’s extensive video library includes examples of day-to-day facility operations that all officers can relate to, no matter where in the country they are located. From meal tracking and med passes to offering recreation or hygiene supplies, the Academy Unlimited platform provides comprehensive, step-by-step tutorials ensuring thorough documentation is captured every time an officer engages with an inmate. This not only protects the officer from any liability discrepancies but also helps the agency as a whole achieve compliance standards.

  • Accessibility for both existing and new officers: For agencies transitioning to GUARDIAN RFID technology, veteran officers may encounter a significant learning curve to cloud-based systems. However, Academy Unlimited will help equip them for this transition. Similarly, new officers benefit from the same training, gaining proficiency from the start. While this platform is a helpful resource for any officer learning about GUARDIAN RFID systems for the first time, it also doubles as a refresher for officers already familiar with the system.  

  • Consistency in training structure: Human nature brings diverse training approaches. However, Academy Unlimited is designed to avoid any discrepancy in training. Its consistent, standardized training approach leads to a higher performance rate, enabling officers to support one another when seeking assistance and clarification.

  • Expansion beyond videos: Before dismissing virtual training, it’s important to note that it goes beyond passive viewing. Many videos featured on Academy Unlimited showcase GUARDIAN RFID’s SPARTAN device screen-sharing what the trainers are currently demonstrating so officers can easily follow along in real time. This interactive component enhances information retention, similar to note-taking in a seminar. It is essentially a simulative demonstration of what an officer would see in their hands as if they were holding the device. 

  • Short and sweet content: Most people have limited attention spans for video training. But fear not! Academy Unlimited videos range from 2 to 20 minutes, designed for learning in manageable increments that match your pace while giving flexibility to take care of other tasks between training. 

Accepting New Technology

Introducing new technology at your agency can be daunting, regardless of the officers' age range and their tech-savviness levels. Let’s admit it, we’ve all faced a substantial learning curve whenever we’ve played with a new gadget. GUARDIAN RFID understands the hesitation of officers unfamiliar with advanced technology. 

However, we are proud that many agencies have experienced a minimal learning curve with our system. With this in mind, those already using GUARDIAN RFID technology are more than equipped to adapt to Academy Unlimited.  Each lesson plan displays its full video length on the homepage, enabling officers to determine how many lessons they can fit into a certain timeframe. Having this feature allows:

  • Self-paced learning: Everyone has a different learning pace, and the opportunity to train at a customizable speed reduces anxiety for the officer who needs extra clarification… just hit rewind! 

  • Accessibility at any time: The beauty of portable technology is that it allows us to carry it in our back pockets. Officers can effortlessly pull up a video lesson for a quick refresher knowing that clarity is always within reach.

Not Sold Yet? Let’s Hear From the Horse's Mouth

Sometimes, a personal testimony, or two, is what people need as proof of credibility. The C.O.R.E team (Correctional Operations Resource Experts) is a unit of GUARDIAN RFID employees with correctional experience who can assist Warriors nationwide with consultation needs. The quotes below come from C.O.R.E. team members who once used GUARDIAN RFID while working in corrections but were not users of  Academy Unlimited.

Mark Cowley, Director of JailOps, expressed that Academy Unlimited would have been a beneficial tool for his team when they were training on GUARDIAN RFID products. He noticed a level of inconsistency that was difficult to overcome.

When talking to the jails I work with, I emphasize the importance of standardized infield training programs to ensure everyone receives uniform instruction, which we did not have.

Mark Cowley
Directory of JailOps

William Boehnemann, JailOps team member, elaborated on the training process that his agency used before he retired from corrections: GUARDIAN RFID’s OnDemand system. He believes that Academy Unlimited would have been a huge asset to his agency.

New hires are paired with an FTO to shadow and learn the device features. I believe Academy Unlimited would greatly benefit agencies because training new hires takes significant time and energy.

William Boehnemann
JailOps Customer Success Manager

Empowering officers with confidence in GUARDIAN RFID systems can significantly improve the statistics regarding work engagement. While staff retention will always be a work in progress, Academy Unlimited is a step forward in finding a solution to the headache of training. Properly understanding tools that automate daily operations makes it less likely for new officers to feel overwhelmed and insecure. Meanwhile, existing officers can tackle their extensive to-do lists without dedicating hours of their limited time to training. Academy Unlimited provides the necessary leverage to transform organizational chaos into streamlined efficiency.

For more information on Academy Unlimited, please review the Academy Unlimited webpage and take a glimpse of what free How-To videos are provided without a subscription. Have questions about pricing or how to subscribe to Academy Unlimited? Contact Us online for more information or contact your JailOps Account Manager directly.