The Workforce Readiness Playbook
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MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL APPROACHES
3 Proven Strategies for Strengthening Workforce Readiness
With nearly half the utility workforce having less than 10 years of experience, and operational demands continuing to rise, ensuring every employee is job-ready has become a top priority for safety and performance.
Forward-thinking operational leaders recognize that technical training alone isn’t enough. True readiness comes from strengthening the physical, mental, and task-specific capabilities of frontline workers.
Building Physical Resilience
The Challenge: Real-World Scenario
A large-scale Minnesota-based electric utility was facing:
- High rates of soft tissue injuries and persistent pain among workers
- Operational impact from lost time
- Documented link between pain, fatigue, poor fueling, and impaired hazard recognition impacting worker safety and efficiency
Their Approach
To combat these challenges, safety and operations leaders transformed their strategy by:
- Upgrading their existing "stretch and flex" with rotating science-backed movement routines integrated into morning huddles, pre-job briefings, & team meetings
- Incorporating regular, practical education on hydration, nutrition, and recovery into safety meetings to improve worker cognitive sharpness
Resources They Used:
Movement Routine Poster
Print version of the full-body warm-up with coaching cues
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The Results
Reduction in participants classified as high-risk for injury
Enhancing Mental Readiness
The Challenge: Real-World Scenario
The largest US electric utility faced challenges in delivering vital safety information effectively:
- Ensuring timely, just-in-time safety content reached workers at critical moments
- Meeting the diverse learning preferences and work environments of frontline employees, making it difficult to distribute relevant safety messaging
Their Approach
To bridge these gaps, safety leaders collaborated with site leads to implement a strategy focused on:
- Multi-format safety content (video, imagery, print, etc.) distributed through tailboard meetings and other existing communication channels
- Utilizing targeted, short-form safety messaging aligned with specific job task risks and seasonal and geographic hazards
Resources They Used:
Slip, Trip, Fall Prevention
Practical strategies to enhance awareness and maintain stability on the job
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Printable Guide
A print reference for reinforcing slip, trip, and fall prevention strategies for analog learners
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Supporting Job-Specific Preparedness
The Challenge: Real-World Scenario
A multi-state energy provider with electric, gas, and renewable operations was grappling with:
- A highly specialized workforce spanning grid operations, gas distribution, and renewable energy maintenance—each requiring tailored, job-specific safety and readiness training.
- A growing skills gap with newer employees needing targeted, real-world training to work safely and efficiently.
Their Approach
To enhance workforce preparedness, safety leaders prioritized real-world, job-relevant training by:
- Partnering with Vimocity to produce job-specific training materials featuring real workers in real work environments facing real on-the-job conditions
- Utilizing practical short-form guides in pre-job briefings to help workers mitigate unique job risks encountered in daily operations
Resources They Used:
Pulling Cable
Job-specific video guide on the strongest body positioning and approach to this task
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Printable Guide
An analog guide on quick key takeaways for performing this task safely that can be utilized in tailboard meetings prior to the task
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Enjoy These Resources?
Discover how other leading energy companies have leveraged Vimocity to support their overall workforce readiness goals and reduce their workplace incidents by over 50%.