Trainer as a role model on site: Setting the standard for safety, quality, and culture.

Duration: 3m35s

AUSMASA Intro: Welcome to the Train-the-Trainer Podcast, proudly brought to you by AUSMASA, Empowering industry to develop essential workforce capabilities for today and tomorrow.

Marc: Hi team, Marc Ratcliffe with you again on another Train-the-trainer podcast. In this episode, we’re shining a light on the trainer as a role model on site, and why that matters so much in mining and automotive environments. Today, we welcome back Richard Jansen to share his unique perspectives on this topic. It’s great to have your company again, Richard. 

Richard: Thanks, Marc. It’s good to back.

Marc: When people think about training, they often focus on the content. What needs to be taught? What needs to be assessed? What procedure, skill, or knowledge area is involved? Of course, those things matter. But in workplace environments, learners are picking up more than the formal lessons. They’re also watching what the trainer does.

Richard: This is where the role modelling begins.

Marc: Yeah. They will notice the big things and the little things. They’ll watch how you speak about safety and then check if you walk the talk. 

Richard: That’s right, Marc. And if you’re preaching about PPE but not consistently wearing it yourself, they realise it’s just lip service. 

Marc: If we go down that rabbit hole for a moment, Richard, what’s the bigger issue here with the ‘do as I say’, rather than the ‘do as I do’?

Richard: Well, Marc. You get this real erosion of trust, and this will often extend to other parts of the job. People stop listening to instructions. They start picking and choosing the procedures they want to follow, and they only do the right things when they are being watched, rather than it being part of their regular practice.

Marc: And that’s a slippery slope for the workplace for sure. 

Richard: In contract, when there is strong role modelling of safety procedures by the trainer, as well as other key quality and compliance areas, it builds respect and creates that all important culture of consistency. 

Marc: Thanks Richard. So, they’ll definitely notice whether you follow the same procedures you’re asking them to commit to. But what else are they seeing in your performance, Richard?

Richard: Well, they notice how you treat people, how you respond to shortcuts, how you manage pressure, how you handle mistakes, and what you seem to prioritise when time is tight.

Marc: So, in other words, Richard, trainers teach through behaviour as much as through instruction.

Richard: Absolutely! That’s why the role-model aspect of training is so important. If a trainer delivers a strong message about safety but bypasses the control measures, or treats procedures casually, the spoken message loses weight.

Marc: The same goes for quality. If we talk about standards but accept poor housekeeping for instance, or incomplete documentation, or rushed work, learners take their cue from that.

Richard. So true. And culture works the same way. If a trainer says, ‘Ask questions anytime’, but shuts people down when they speak up, the real lesson is in not the words, it’s in the behaviour.

Marc: But being a role model doesn’t mean being perfect, right?

Richard: No, not at all. It means being intentional and consistent. In mining and automotive environments, credibility is built through alignment. What you say, what you do, and what you reinforce need to match.

Marc: So, what does strong role modelling look like?

Richard: I think it starts with visibly following the standards yourself. Use the procedure. Wear the PPE correctly. Complete the checks properly. Use the language of risk and control in realistic ways. 

Marc: So, demonstrate the behaviour you want normalised.

Richard. Yeah. Next, it means showing professionalism under pressure. This is a big one. Anyone can talk about standards when conditions are ideal. But what learners really notice is what happens when time is short, the task is hard, or something goes wrong. 

Marc: Like do you stay calm? Or do you cut corners? 

Richard: Yeah, and do you keep the focus on doing it right? Those moments teach a lot.

Marc: What else?

Richard: Modelling respect is super important. Respect for learners, for operators, for procedures, and for the work itself. 

Marc: Yeah, I agree. People are more likely to engage in learning when they feel respected.

Richard: Correct, and they’re more likely to copy the standards of someone who demonstrates respect in practice.

Marc: So, talk to me more about role-modelling respect.

Richard: Well, one example is modelling how you handle errors. If a learner makes a mistake, your response teaches them something about culture. Do you shame them, or do you coach them? Do you ignore it, or do you use it as a learning opportunity? Effective trainers correct clearly, provide constructive feedback that drives performance and never put the learners down.

Marc: Okay and what other role modelling could we be doing here?

Richard: It also matters how trainers talk about the workplace. Constant cynicism, eye-rolling about procedures, or dismissive comments about management may feel harmless in the moment, but they shape attitudes. 

Marc: Yeah, I totally agree. Trainers don’t need to pretend everything’s perfect. But they should avoid modelling disengagement.

Richard. You’re right. It’s hard to do sometimes but we have to take the high road on that one. 

Marc: And of course, that consistency matters across the whole training cycle. Before training, during demonstration, during assessment, and within their everyday interactions. In this way, the trainer sets a tone. 

Richard. Yeah, and over time, that tone influences what people believe is normal and desirable.

Marc: That’s a nice ‘tone’ to wrap up our discussion today, Richard. Thanks for your insights, I think you’ve provided plenty of food for thought.

Richard: It’s been a pleasure, Marc. Thanks for asking me back.

Marc: So, we’ve been talking about the trainer as the role-model on site today. It’s important to remember that our influence extends further than the classroom. If we’re not walking the walk, then our learners are less likely to commit to lessons we’re training to teach.

Whether you’re a trainer, assessor, supervisor, or even a workplace coach, you have to ask yourself: what are people learning from me when I’m not officially teaching? What standard am I setting through my habits, my attitude, and my decision-making?

Because in workplace training, your example is always part of the lesson. And when your behaviour reinforces safety, quality, and respect, the training becomes stronger before you even say a word. Of course, the opposite is also true.

All the best in being that great role-model that your learners deserve. We’ll catch you next time. 

AUSMASA outro: This was just one resource in the AUSMASA Train-the-trainer suite of tools aimed at bridging the gap for trainers and assessors in the mining and automotive industries. Check out the other learning assets to take your training and assessment to the next level, including videos, scenarios, case studies, job aids, fact sheets and other podcast episodes. 

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