Running a Skills Training & Assessment Course (STA)

You’ll start seeing Skills Training & Assessment (STA) courses in the LMS. Each one is a single hands-on skill. The student comes in with some background. You run them through the skill, demonstrate it, show the technique behind it, and coach them until they’ve got it. Then they prove it on their own before moving on. That hands-on stretch is the heart of every STA, and it’s yours.

Here’s what an STA looks like from your side, and what’s built into each one to back you up.

Students arrive prepared

Before students get to you, each one completes a short pre-quiz on the skill. There’s reading available to go with it, but it’s there for the student who has never run into this skill on the job. It isn’t a cover-to-cover requirement for everyone. Someone who has already done the work in the field can go straight to the pre-quiz. Someone who hasn’t gets enough of a running start that they’re not walking in cold. Either way, the pre-quiz is the checkpoint. It confirms they’ve come in with enough background to make your time count.

Students also get a prep checklist of the skills the STA covers. They can practice these on the job, at home, or in makeup time, and check them off as they go for a running read on their own readiness. By the time they’re in front of you, the groundwork is laid and you can get straight to the skill.

What every STA includes

Every STA follows the same path, so once you’ve run one, the rest feel familiar. And every STA hands you the same set of materials to work from:

• Step-by-step setup instructions: the workspace, the tools and materials, and the safety check.
• A step-by-step training exercise that the students work and you lead.
• An observation and evaluation guide that tells you what to demonstrate, the key points to hit, and the common mistakes to watch for.
• Tool and material lists for both the training and the assessment, plus any prints or specs.
• The assessment and its student handout, scored through STAT, the Skills Training & Assessment Tool.

None of that is meant to script you. It keeps the skill consistent from one program to the next, with the same standard and the same expectations, while you bring your own technique and experience to how you run it. You know the trade. The materials just make sure every student, in every program, comes out the other side with the same skill.

Running an STA

1. Set up

Use the space you already have. STAs don’t come with a required layout or anything you have to build to match. There’s an example layout if you’re starting from scratch, but if you’ve already got a space that works, run with it. Give each student room to work and a clear view of your demonstrations, stage the tools and materials off the list, and run the safety check. (For Knot Tying 101, that’s inspecting the rope for damage and reviewing safe cutting; every STA spells out its own.) Then take a few minutes to run back through the skill yourself, along with the common-error list, so you know what to flag before a student does.

2. Run the training exercise

Start with a group intro: the task, the expectations, and the safety points. Then work the skill one step at a time. Demonstrate it, show the technique, and explain where it shows up on the job. Then watch each student do it and coach them in real time. Students don’t move to the next step until they’re ready. The observation guide helps ensure every critical step is covered.

3. Run the assessment

When training is complete, switch to assessment mode. Launch the STAT, verify which students are present, and brief them on what they’ll perform. From there, they work on their own. You observe their performance and answer procedural questions, but coaching stops during the assessment.

4. Score and remediate

STAT walks you through each assessment criterion while you score student performance. One instructor can assess the whole group and the individuals in it at the same time, so you’re not grading one person at a time. If a student doesn’t demonstrate competency, STAT points to the specific skill or objective and where to shore it up: coursework to revisit, or a prerequisite STA to rerun. The goal is simple. They walk away competent, or they walk away knowing exactly what to work on before they try again.

Finding your STAs

STAs are accessed from the same LMS you already use. Once you’re enrolled, open the new Learning & Skills tab (formerly My Courses), and select My STAs from the new Course/STA dropdown. The STA workspace looks and functions just like My Courses. You can organize STAs into tabs and arrange them however you prefer. Opening an STA gives you everything for that skill in one place.

As an instructor, you’ll see:

• Setup instructions
• Observation and evaluation guide
• Instructor checklist
• Materials and tools lists
• Prints and specs
• Pre-quiz answer key
• Launch STAT button

Those instructor pieces are hidden from students, so students only ever see their side of it.

STAs were built to make hands-on instruction easier to deliver, easier to assess, and more consistent across every program. They give you the structure and the resources, and they leave the technique and judgment where they belong — in the hands of experienced instructors.